Haven of Souls
by Lil' Miss Mezzo
Summary: Everything is out of balance when one man suddenly appears, and memories of one scout threaten to destroy the peace they worked so hard to achieve. Part 2 of Sailor Galaxy Chronicles!
1. The Wedding

Hey, everyone! How y'all doing? Does anyone read _Primal Forces_? Oh, well. I'm practically, like, halfway through it, so I might as well finish it. I haven't written as much in _Soul of the Shell_, but I got at least two chapter done. Here's the first one and I hope you guys like it. Remember, it's rated M so I'm taking a big step from _Sailor Galaxy Chronicles_. Let's go!

**The Wedding**

_The night sky finally cleared up after the seemingly endless rain. Streets and gutters were drenched, not to mention the dirty pavement and dirt itself._

_Soaking and fatigued, she crossed the street slowly and entered the business district. Many times over did her mind command her to turn back and go home, but the thirteen year old girl wouldn't move a muscle, being as fickle as ever._

'_No way,' she thought. 'No way am I going back now.'_

_She restarted her trek, letting the purple hair flow freely in the cool wind. The rare blue orbs searched for a place of rest as her tender body shivered. Very few street lamps were on and only one row of stores was still open. She gratefully thanked the gods as she walked towards them._

* * *

_They chuckled behind the swordsmanship training facility as she neared the building with oblivious knowledge. None of them thought of the ambush being "wrong"…hell, they were juvenile delinquents. But they didn't give a damn. Any girl would be nice to do. Their lives were already messed up as they were._

_Once she was in a cornering distance, two young men jumped out with smirking faces as the girl lightly gasped. But when she realized the situation, the gasp turned into a groan. "Evening," she greeted with a disgusted tone._

"_Hey there, cutie." One of them already started to flirt. "Lookin' for some fun?"_

"_What do you have in mind?" she asked, but obviously not sounding eager._

"_Some friends of ours are having a party. Wanna be my date?" His friend started to laugh before she gave a sly smile._

"_How about you take a sugar frosted fuck…" She pointed to the friend with a hideous laughter. "Off the end of his dick?"_

"_Oh…" the friend guessed. "So you wanna see __**them**__, huh?" Both of them guffawed with absolute perverted stupidity._

"_Well, that depends on who you're asking, because obviously, your friend has a bigger dick than you. And just because you have one doesn't mean you need to be one."_

_Their slow, inadequate minds absorbed her taunt and twisted their faces into mad glares. The men regretted taking her for granted because of her age._

_From behind, they took out a shinai and bokken, wooden swords which are originally meant for training kenjutsu. The men chuckled devilishly as they pointed their weapons at the stunned girl._

"_Fuck me…" she cursed._

_Just then, a whole group of inexperienced students jumped out with similar weapons, each grinning sinisterly as she whined at the outnumbering. "Fuck me sideways!"_

_The next thing she knew, the flock of mindless youths tackled her to the ground. Her small chest absorbed a substantial amount of pain, her elbows and knees were scraped, and a strong hand grabbed her hair from her scalp. The girl's head was pulled up as a bokken lifted her chin._

"_Don't underestimate us, little girl." The bokken was held by the boy who tried to hit on her earlier. "We're under the tutelage of our master at the dojo, who's only sixteen!! Be glad you're not facing him!" He raised the bokken up high, waiting to bring it down on her head. The girl closed her eyes shut and lightly whimpered._

'_Crap!'_

_A hand grasped the bokken and forced it out of the boy's hand. He wheeled around to stare into the ice blue eyes that excreted a cold expression. The boy froze in place as his confidence retreated into fear. "S…Sensei…"_

_The bokken was twirled at such a speed, the boy didn't see it smack his head with unthinkable power. The bruise on his temple expanded before he hit the ground unconscious._

"_No!!"_

"_It's sensei!!"_

_Half of the delinquents tried to run while the others dragged the young girl along. They turned their backs on the dojo, running from their previous beliefs into the mentality of a kindergartener. But as they turned, their sensei immediately appeared with the callous look on his face, striking fear into all his students. His slender tall body stood perfectly straight while gripping the bokken tightly._

"_Well…" he spoke. "This is unfortunate for all of you." He began to tap the bokken on his shin in rhythm. "This is a misuse of kendo training."_

_Their fears hit the limit. Some of the thugs tried to run past him while others ran the opposite direction._

_But it wasn't difficult in the least bit._

_In one swing, the master bashed the bokken on his student's skulls, knocking them out cold. The agility and strength he used was invisible to the naked eye._

_He returned his attention to the students running away. It was hard to believe that they were taught well under him. Disappointed, he hurled the bokken like a boomerang, making it swerve and knock them senseless one by one._

"_You're all expelled," he announced._

_They collapsed next to the girl, who didn't give a care of their well being. Using all her remaining strength, she forced herself to crawl away from the man that surpassed his students._

'_If they did this to me…' she thought quickly. 'What would __**he**__ do!?'_

_As the girl crawled, she heard footsteps coming from behind. Seeing how all the others were lying unconscious, she could easily assume it was their master approaching. She moved and flailed her limbs. The footsteps got closer…and faster…or was it her heart that was beating at an unnatural pace? By the time she could feel his presence, the girl knew it was too late._

'_I'm done for.'_

_She raised her arm in a blind attempt of self-defense. Hoping to somehow slap him across the face, her wrist was caught by a firm hand. The girl gasped with fright…at the thought of retaliation. She closed her eyes instantly and flinched for any strike._

"_Are you okay?"_

_The eyes snapped wide open. Her blue orbs looked towards the ice blue eyes, which weren't as cold as she thought. He had lightly tufted black hair, looking too young to be a dojo master. Despite the thoughts that filled her head a few seconds ago, the man seemed…kind._

_Feeling relieved and exhausted, the girl's head reeled back. He caught it before it could hit the ground and damage the skull. The man scooped her up in his arms with his surprising strength, resting her unconscious head on his shoulders. Although she looked battered on the surface, the man knew she had a graceful appearance._

'_This guy...' The thoughts emerged deep within her conscience. 'He saved my life and we don't even know each other's names.'_

* * *

"Aoshi!" 

After hearing his name, he stopped working on his cuffs and walked to the bedroom. Aoshi laid eyes on her body in the silver strapless dress with a white band around her abdomen. There were only light frills at the bottom; her hair was up and kept still with a barrette. Her corsage held a red rose on her right wrist that contrasted with her blue eyes.

"Got everything packed?"

It took him a few seconds before realizing she asked him a question. "Yeah. Nothing got left behind." Aoshi quickly returned to the living room to avert his eyes from her hypnotizing image.

'_Anna Onodera…has it really been five years…since that day?'_

When they met, Anna was barely out of middle school. Now she's out of high school and been living with him for 2 months. She grew so much through his eyes, but Anna was 18 while he was 21. It didn't bother him one bit.

They felt comfortable with each other for so long, Aoshi wondered if it was the right time…

He fixed his tie one last time in front of the mirror and went toward the suitcases. They spent a lot of money on the tux, but they both managed it. Most of their money went to the apartment after Anna graduated. Her parents believed she moved to another state for college; they began to trust her after the incident with Galaxia.

All their things were packed when Anna finally stepped out in her dress.

"Ready to go?"

Aoshi nodded with his indifferent face. She walked up and picked up some of the luggage. "Should we wait for Miss Tomoe?" he asked.

Anna shook her head. "She said she would be busy preparing for the ceremony. No worries; I still got the power she gave me."

* * *

"_The wedding? Already?"_

_Hotaru nodded. The 15 year old girl smiled sweetly at the friends she didn't see for so long. Anna and Aoshi stood surprised in their new apartment._

"_Yes. Like you, Serena and the others just finished school and are preparing to start a new life."_

"_Well…" Anna ruffled her hair. She looked over at Aoshi for his consent. They both saved up money for their new home and they're already told to prepare for the wedding._

_But Aoshi only smiled. "We should have expected this. No worries."_

_It was true. Once the wedding was done, Anna and Aoshi planned to stay permanently in Tokyo. She sighed and chuckled._

_"Okay. We got it handled."_

* * *

Anna held out a palm and created a dark oval portal. It didn't appear any different as it was from two years ago. Anna could already feel the distant memories come back from her days as a solar scout. 

Aoshi took her hand and led her through the portal, like any man would do to a lady. They abandoned the apartment and immediately reappeared in a crowded banquet hall, filled with guests and honored friends.

It was just like her dream during her stay at Serena's house. All guests were blithe and proud of the bride and groom. The favors and food were elegantly set; caterers made eclectic dishes. All seemed perfect.

"Anna!"  
"Sir Aoshi!"

Raye and Mina rushed up with ecstatic faces, Chad and Jerry were following. They bought special red and orange dresses for the occasion.

Mina was the first to come up and give Anna a bear hug. "It's been so long! Never go back there without my permission!"

Anna laughed with delight. "Don't be stupid. We're staying here from now on." Raye came up and tightly hugged her, more gentle than Mina's.

"Glad you're back."

Chad and Jerry were equally glad of their return.

"How was America?"

Chad questioned. Neither of them had yet to know to scouts' deep secret, let alone Anna and Aoshi's real origin.

"Oh…great. You guys should go there." Anna nervously chuckled, being careful not to spill the beans.

"Hey! You're here!"

On her other side, Anna found Lita and Amy partnered with Jason and Greg, like before. Jason was another civilian that didn't know the secret. The team was relieved that Greg knew the truth; another oblivious friend would put pressure on keeping it discreet.

"We thought you wouldn't make it," Lita whined. Despite how strong she was among the team, she always held a soft spot for friends.

"Well, here we are: live and in-person." Anna noticed the silent Amy, crying at the sight of them; looked like she had an even softer spot. She leapt and wrapped her arms around Anna, releasing her happiness.

"You're back! You're really here!"

Anna greeted her as well. The Inner Senshi reunited…

"Hey…long time no see."

Along with the Outer Senshi. Amara, Michelle, Trista, and Hotaru walked up maturely and smiled in a sophisticated way.

"It's been a while, Miss Tenoh," Aoshi greeted.

"How was 'America'?" Michelle was careful since the others were around. Trista and Hotaru embraced Anna with delight.

"It's all good," Anna replied. She answered truthfully, ignoring the fact that the others were there. She was glad to be back. "Hey, where's Serena?"

"Oh…" Amy finally spoke up. "I'll show you there. It's not far."

As she was directed to Serena's dressing room, Aoshi slipped away to see an old friend.

* * *

Darien fixed his bowtie on his white tuxedo as he looked in the full view mirror. He was finally able to wed the girl he was destined to love, destined to be with forever. Anticipation wracked his body until someone knocked on the door of his dressing room. 

"It's open."

The doorknob was turned and Aoshi appeared at the doorway. Darien was glad he could make it.

"Hey, man. Welcome back." Aoshi walked up and shook his hand after 2 long years. "How's Anna?"

"Doing well," Aoshi replied. He dropped on the couch and began to relax from tension. As he sighed, Darien took notice and cocked an eyebrow.

"Something bothering you?"

Aoshi seemed surprised for a moment, but he should have known nothing could be hidden from the future king. He scratched his head, finding a way to release the thoughts. "How did you do it?"

Darien gave a confused look. "Do what?"

Every passing second made it harder for him to say it. After all, he **was** talking to Anna's best friend.

"How did you…propose to Miss Tsukino?"

The groom started to create a wide grin; he knew where conversations headed. But he decided to play along.

"Well…" He went on fixing himself for the ceremony. "Her class was so busy getting ready for graduation; I had a hard time getting to it. The night before grad night, Serena cried about not seeing her friends or that I might travel to America to study. There was no way I would go, so to prove it…I proposed to her that night. Once she said yes, Serena smiled throughout graduation."

Aoshi kept lightly nodding, coming up with ideas for the right time. When Darien was finally ready, he turned to Aoshi with an innocent grin.

"I think Anna would be ready anytime."

Aoshi immediately became flustered, but decided to accept it. Perhaps Darien was right: any time would be good for Anna because her heart was always pure. And he wanted to protect that heart.

* * *

Anna was found talking to the team before she noticed Darien and Aoshi come up to them. 

"Hey, lucky bastard." She gave Darien a tight squeeze as he embraced her back. Two years _was_ a long time. "Got butterflies in your stomach?"

Darien shook his head. They all acted as if nothing changed. The Sailor Senshi reunited once more. "I gotta go meet some people for appearance. I'll see you later, okay?"

Anna nodded. As Darien turned around, he glanced over to Aoshi, who understood what he meant.

'_Just say it when it's right,'_ he thought. He left the team and mingled with some other guests.

Aoshi looked over to Anna talking with the others. He heard her delicate laughter and saw the sweet grin across her face. What would happen to that smile if they never met? What if no one was there to protect her? That was what Aoshi desired to achieve since day one: to be there for her whenever she was in need. A promise was a tying bond. What would he do if he never made that promise?

He would have still loved Anna. Aoshi closed his eyes.

'_Not now. She's not ready.'_

Marriage only proved the bond. He never really cared about proof. Aoshi stuck to the present and did all that he could do for her. But someday…he knew Anna would say yes.

Silently, he walked to Anna's side and held her hand. She immediately wrapped her arms around Aoshi with no hesitation while talking to the others. He treasured her petite innocence and placed a hand on her shoulder, resting her head under his chin.

"What did you and Darien talk about?" Aoshi looked down at her curious self. Anna took no notice of his deep fervor, but it didn't bother him.

"Stuff."

After a few seconds, she smiled again and turned to the girls, resting her head on his chest. The ceremony began minutes later, with Serena revealed in a lavishing white gown, smiling joyfully. Darien gently took her hand, joining at the altar. As the priest spoke, Anna and Aoshi held hands for comfort, hoping they would get the same opportunity.

'_Someday,'_ Aoshi thought.

* * *

Whew! First chapter. It feels relaxing to be back on this story. I know it's like uber long, but that's life: I make up stuff and stick with it as I go along. This was planned way before _Primal Forces_ and I didn't find time to post this one up. The coolest super special awesome gifts are reviews. Can't live without them! See ya later! 


	2. Confessions

Okay...some people got confused at the beginning of chapter 1. I'm going to be doing that constantly in this story: going back to the past and revealing stuff. So if you see things italicized, that's a FLASHBACK. Okay? Cool.

Now about this chapter…It's gonna really suck, because it's my first lemon scene in ever, so bear with me! I'm a newbie at this stuff. Remember: rated M!

So let's get going!

**Confessions**

The arrival gate remained empty for an hour since they arrived. Raye's temper rose at the unchanging scene. Being away for two weeks was enough time for Darien and Serena to arrive on the dot, but not a single bell rung to announce their return.

"What's taking them!?" Raye screamed aloud. She jumped out of her leather seat and stared out onto the runway, then into the sky, hoping to find an airplane.

"Calm down, Raye!" Lita motioned her to sit back down. Raye stubbornly fell back into her uncomfortable seat, pouting the order.

"Serena told us to meet her today, but I guess their flight was delayed." Amy flipped a page in her book and continued reading. She was able to keep her composure, unlike the other girls.

Soon after their wedding, Serena and Darien left for their honeymoon to Europe. The girls only received one phone call during the entire vacation saying that they were returning this very day. The day was almost done and not a plane was in sight.

Mina sighed with boredom. "Where's Anna and Aoshi?" she finally questioned.

Raye groaned with embarrassment. "Chad didn't want the kendo students to leave on time, so he kept Aoshi back. Some girls joined the class, and…well…"

"He wanted to ask for their numbers, right?" Lita only asked to frustrate her more…and it worked. Raye stood up again, eyes burning with anger, teeth gritted. Once she thought he was the perfect guy, he goes off and becomes a perverted two-timer.

"Chad, if you don't let them go, I'll—"

"Rip his throat out?"

The girls turned around to the hallway. Anna and Aoshi stood casually as if nothing was wrong, but everybody knew…

"You guys are late!" Mina wagged a finger at them.

Anna nervously chuckled and scratched her head. "Yeah, about that…some of the students didn't want class to end early, so there were some problems…_Aoshi_ didn't want to turn them down..."

He cocked an eyebrow and looked away. "Well, a _certain someone_ took a long time fixing her appearance, a.k.a. Anna."

The girls lightly giggled as Anna growled. She softly punched Aoshi's ribs and began to pout like an ignorant child. He knew her soft feelings and chuckled silently before pulling her in for an embrace. Anna's cheeks turned pink and changed her attitude to soft and gentle. The others grinned sheepishly until an electronic bell tolled.

"They're here!' Amy stood up excitedly; Raye, Lita, and Mina did the same. Aoshi let go of Anna as she slowly walked before them.

Passengers flocked the scene with greetings and anticipation. Their vision was cut off; Serena and Darien were nowhere to be found.

"Are they here?" Despite her tall structure, Lita couldn't see above the other heads.

But not a speck of doubt was on Anna's mind. Her visage kept its composure until a slight smile appeared.

"They're here."

After the crowd cleared away, a couple stepped out of the gate and appeared after a whole two weeks was complete. They have their maturity, no longer the young adults during high school. Husband and wife, they enjoyed the honeymoon as much as possible…but there was something wrong with the faces of Serena and Darien.

The team immediately approached them, suddenly taking notice of their forlorn expressions. Mina felt down from the sight.

"Did something happen?" she tried to ask carefully. Serena looked at them, trying to force some happiness upon her appearance.

"Everything's okay…mostly." There was a breath of uneasiness as she spoke. Whenever Serena acted that way, Anna knew it was an omen.

"Something's wrong." All eyes turned to Anna. Everyone except Darien and Serena expressed confused looks, wondering what went awry. "Something's gonna happen soon, right?"

They knew nothing could be hidden from Anna, but they didn't know Anna would catch on so quickly.

"What's this 'something'?" Amy asked. To keep an act up for so long, their news must be dire.

Darien's face was dead serious. "Tomorrow afternoon, the negative forces all around the universe will come to Tokyo. The battle for Crystal Tokyo's tomorrow."

Everyone stood still, their mouths gaped. Their minds went blank. The memories of their past battles overflowed, for they remembered why they fought those battles. The team waited for the day they would change the world.

And it came.

"Crystal Tokyo…" The words escaped Anna's mouth silently. She remembered the day she laid eyes on the future…in an alternate reality. Anna didn't want to see that horrid feature twice in a lifetime.

"How-How do you guys know?" Lita finally had the guts to speak up after being told the shocking news.

"Serena had a vision while we were gone," Darien explained. "Her powers began to wake. That doesn't happen until it's finally time."

Serena looked boldly in their eyes. "This will be our toughest battle yet. The scouts alone won't be enough." The realization diminished the team's strength. Even if the Outer Senshi helped, there's a minimal chance of victory.

Amy thought deeply for ideas. "How about we call Princess Kakyu and the Starlights?" The others considered the proposal. Serena finally nodded.

"That's possible. But I'm afraid we're still outnumbered. Every single malicious force imaginable will be against us." She looked at the four scouts that arrived on time. Serena didn't want to force them in the worst possible situation, but…  
"Chad…Jason…Jerry…they need to know." She saw their faces filled with worry and surprise.

"They need to know you're sailor scouts."

Lita, Raye, and Mina went into deep thought. For three years, they kept a deep secret from the ones they loved. To expose the truth right before the biggest battle of their lives, how will the guys take it?

Mina looked down with sorrow. "Do they…have to know?"

Serena's face didn't change. She couldn't change her mind about the situation. "Its vital they know about our origin. We need more man power."

If they realized the truth, would they accept it? Or will they run away, abandoning everyone?

Darien looked toward Amy. "Greg already knows about us. I'm sorry, Amy…but we need him as well." She understood and nodded. Amy didn't want him to be involved to begin with. But if she went on alone, Greg wouldn't allow it.

"Sir Aoshi…" Serena turned to him. He immediately got the message: there was no way he could refuse to fight. Not after everything they've been through, he's essential for the battle.

Also…he wouldn't want Anna to die in action. He wasn't going to allow it.

"Anna…" She prepared for what they were about to tell her.

"We need you to alert Amara and the others. After that, tell Trista to notify the Starlights as soon as possible."

"Got it," she replied. A sense of pride erupted within her. She sensed that something disturbing and dark was going to arrive tomorrow…something from her past.

"Okay…" Darien sighed. "This is it. Meet us at Starlight Tower at 5:30 sharp. Be ready."

The team gave some more thought before finally leaving. The guys had to know…Lita, Mina, and Raye just hoped they understand.

As they left, Anna remembered the teasing of Aoshi just before Serena and Darien arrived. Her blood was boiling so high, she felt relaxed being in his arms. It made Anna wonder how she fell for him in the first place…

* * *

_The sunlight hit her face as she finally began to stir. The long night took a toll on her head and body, but everything seemed to feel better. Once the girl rubbed her temple, she noticed the bandage wrapped around the wrist, healing the bones ad muscles within. The shock jolted her to become fully active as she examined her situation._

_Walls surrounded her in a brown tint. A single window allowed sunlight from the back of the building. The floor was made of wood, but it didn't get on her nerves. The walls were draped with scrolls and tablets describing fighting stances and progress reports. Shinais and bokkens were racked on the wall in front of her, preparing to be used for practice._

_The girl finally looked on her own person. Her mud stained garments disappeared, leaving the body in a fresh white sleeping robe. All her injuries were treated, bringing her back into shape._

_'What's going on?' Her thoughts kept piling up. 'What happened last night?'_

_Flashes of the memories rushed to her head. The girl covered her mouth as she remembered: the sneak out, the brawl…and the young man._

_'Who was he?'_

_Suddenly, cries and fight yells were heard just outside the room. She slowly stood up from her futon and walked over to the sliding door with curiosity getting the best of her. The girl remained quiet as she moved the sliding paper door to feast her blue orbs on the action._

_A young boy endlessly attacked an older male with a shinai as the man defended himself with a bokken, showing no signs of struggling. Everywhere the shinai went, the bokken followed and blocked successfully. The boy grew exhausted and finally performed an all-out swing._

_That was when the man's eyes changed. They held a powerful aura, his muscles tensed as he flipped the bokken to a backhand hold. He leaped higher than the boy, swinging his weapon in three rapid strikes across the chest. Three wheeling spins brought the boy to a hard crash on the ground as the ma landed gently on is feet._

_"You've gotten stronger," he complimented the boy. His underling got up to his feet and laughed, although he could feel the pain throughout his body._

_"I'm still no match for you, sensei. Thanks for the sparring, though."_

_The girl stood amazed, trying to realize what happened. She knew one thing from the entire show: her savior was strong._

_As the boy left the dojo for the day, the girl finally decided to slide open the door, revealing herself to the man with ice blue eyes. He wore an average dogi for training lessons, helping him advance his skills. Sweat lightly covered his face as he breathed deeply, looking over to her._

_"You're up." He was able to say some words through his exhaustion. The girl knew it was him the moment she saw the eyes: he was the man that saved her._

_She opened her mouth, but it took some time for the words to come out. "Where…am I?"_

_The man walked to a table, where a water bottle was waiting to quench his thirst. "At my dojo," he replied. "Obviously, I have no idea where you live, so I just let you rest here." After taking a gulp, he felt refreshed and looked back at her._

_"I'm Aoshi Shinomori."_

_The girl couldn't avert her gaze to somewhere else. He seemed like a complete enigma. He was strong, yet gentle. Fierce, yet kind._

_Hard, yet soft._

_"Anna…Onodera."_

_He set the bottle back on the table and walked toward Anna. She stood perfectly still, but her mind was flustered with what to do. Run away? Stay? Hate or admire? Be nice or cold? It depended on his next course of action._

_Out of nowhere, Aoshi raised his hand in front. She hesitated for a moment until a small chuckle came from him._

_"Nice to meet you."_

_She couldn't sense anything wrong from him. Deep down, as Anna took out her hand and shook his, she knew they were going to know each other for a long time._

* * *

The key was forced in and she finally opened the door. With Aoshi following, Anna sighed with trouble as she gazed around the apartment. Everything was finally in order since they came back to Tokyo, only now the biggest battle of their lives might destroy it all. 

"We've been a little rusty since the fight with Galaxia," she commented. "Let's just hope we're up to snuff."

"Let's just hope we make it through," Aoshi warned. Anna turned to him with an indifferent face. "Everyone may be fighting, but we're going against every single possible force out there." He wanted her to understand it was all or nothing. The following day was gonna change their lives forever. Especially in one of them lived and the other—

'_Died.'_ The thought poisoned his mood. Deep inside, Aoshi turned sour if Anna was robbed of life.

And yet, she continued to smile. The thoughts of dread washed away when he saw Anna's delicate optimism.

"As long as we're together…" She walked up in front of him. "Everything will be fine." Anna held his face and kissed his lips delicately. It was only for a second until she retreated and went to their room.

But it wasn't enough for him. A feeling within Aoshi wanted more. He wanted to know what Anna really thought of him. He wanted to hold her. He wanted to capture her lips again.

He wanted Anna.

Aoshi followed into the room, finding Anna standing randomly. She scratched her head as she was aware of his presence.

"Maybe we need to plan some tactics to make things easier…" He ignored Anna's words and placed his hands on her delicate waist. It still didn't satisfy Aoshi.

Anna grinned sheepishly and turned around. _'He's so friggin' awesome.'_ He kept his innate personality as she lifted his head and looked into the ice blue eyes.

"Aoshi…?" She held his face and circled his lips again with hers. It was a long time since they were together like this, but Anna was happy. As their mouths were entwined, Aoshi placed a hand on the back of her head, driving his tongue in a little more. They both enjoyed a sensation while she wrapped her arms around his neck.

The other hand slowly crept up her back, underneath the thin cotton shirt. Anna continued to play with his lips until she heard a clip from behind. Her bra became loose; the pads felt like falling, the straps slowly slid off her shoulders.

'_What's going on!?'_ Anna's mouth broke away from him, but Aoshi pulled her back in, resting her chin on his shoulder. _'What just happened?? Aoshi…'_

They held onto each other until she realized what was happening, and her face turned red. His arms locked her in place; Anna had nowhere to go. She could feel his intense breath on her neck and it made her melt like ice. Aoshi's tongue moistened her skin; her senses went numb as his lips were placed on her neck. She couldn't hold in the gasp that escaped her lips.

Her hands slid up his backside, clutching onto his broad shoulders to avoid sinking to her knees. Aoshi supported her by holding her up and drove his mouth onto her soft skin, wanting to taste more of her. She placed a hand on his devouring head, signaling that she could stand on her own. Accepting it, he placed a hand on her chest, sliding it down to her right breast. Anna arched her back to give him better access; she turned her head so she could breathe huskily in his ear:

"The bed."

Aoshi lifted her up off her feet. She wrapped her legs around his abdomen as they fell on the flimsy mattress. His hands lay on the bed as he continued to ravage her neck. He began to move lower; Anna quickly tried to throw off her shirt, but he assisted. Aoshi's mouth found her breast and massaged her nipple with his tongue. She panted for air while he worked on unbuttoning his dark shirt, revealing his six-pack abs. As he got up in a kneeling position and worked on his pants, Anna sat up and sucked on his abdomen, enjoying their structure.

She also got up in a kneeling position, quickly removing her jeans and panties. Anna brought him closer to her again before falling on the bed again. His hands roamed all over her bare form and found her hips. Aoshi held on firmly before going into her opening just above the thighs. Her deep breaths forced her to cling onto the covers, hoping to endure the pleasure. Anna moaned erotically, earning him a sense of accomplishment. She continued to gasp for breath, but his lips came down and crashed onto hers. His hard chest came into contact with her soft breasts; he continued to move back and forth.

Aoshi worked down to her neck and shoulder while still working down below. Anna stared blankly at the ceiling as her body was at his disposal. She kept thinking before her breath collapsed; her heartbeats went into a rushing tempo along with his.

'_I belong to him and him only.'_

* * *

He stared off into the clear blue sky with ice blue orbs. The closed window reflected no sunlight; there was enough heat in the room. Anna lied resting next to him, wrapping an arm around his waist. He felt relaxed and happy inside; they stopped fighting their emotions inside and expressed their feelings with each other. Aoshi felt fully devoted to her. 

"We'll protect each other." He looked down and saw her open her blue eyes. Anna's words reminded Aoshi of the promises they made to each other.

"I'll protect you, no matter what." Anna's face gave a determined aura. Nothing was going to stop her from fulfilling the promise. "Even if it means I have to—"

His movement was too quick. Aoshi had her lying down face up, pushing Anna into the bed. Her eyes were frozen with shock. He held her tightly on the wrists, making her unable to go anywhere.

"Aoshi--!!"

"Don't be stupid!" She paused her struggling and saw the seriousness in his eyes. His force on her wrists tightened. "Don't go risking your life just for me tomorrow. If you die…no one will be happy." Anna began to cringe. "Don't die for anyone, got it!?"

She nodded nervously. After sighing with relief, Aoshi rested his head on Anna's chest. She stroked his black hair, worrying of what would happen the following day…if she was able to keep everyone alive without making herself die.

* * *

Whew! It's done. Sorry if the lemon scene was sappy, but it was my first time. Don't forget to review. I've been struggling with the next chapter, but I'll finish it eventually. See ya later! 


	3. True Strength

Haha! I finished chapter 3. Holy shiitake: I've planned so many fanfics, but I'm taking my time on completing my current ones. Gotta do it fast! DX

Okay…first lemon scene ever is done, but it's not the last! I dunno…I might some other times to do it again, but not anytime soon.

The weapons I'm introducing in this chapter belong to a certain franchise, so to put it simply: THEY DON'T BELONG TO ME! All right? Cool.

Here we go!

**True Strength**

_She finally got to her room…after trekking past her parents' ranting. The moment Anna opened the front door, they barged up to her face with their loud mouths, asking where she was._

'_This is exactly why I snuck out.'_

_She dropped on her soft bed as her head continued to spin. How could she explain that she got beat up by wanna-be kenjutsu students?_

'_Thank goodness Mr. Shinomori was there.'_

_It was still a surprise to her that her savior was only sixteen and a master at a dojo. Anna knew it was probably a one-time introduction and that they would never meet again, now that her mother and father are tracking her every move._

_There was a sudden tapping at her window that got her attention. Anna turned her head and saw someone she never expected to see. She jumped out of bed and whispered loudly so her parents wouldn't notice._

"_Mr. Shinomori!?"_

_It was true. Aoshi was crouched right outside the window on the second floor of the house. Anna rushed to her window and opened it, but he was forced to stay outside._

"_What are you doing here…on my roof!?"_

"_You have a habit of not telling people where you go," he explained. "You just left the dojo suddenly without telling anyone."_

_Anna became worried and confused at once. But one thing that bothered her was how Aoshi knew where her house was. 'Is he a stalker?' She immediately shook away the thought. "Is there something you needed?"_

_He turned around and sat on her roof. Anna became speechless, wondering if he was crazy or whatever._

"_You seem troubled."_

_Her face slowly softened…as his words were true. There was something in Anna's life that seemed wrong…like there was more to her world than everyone thinks._

_She hopped out of her window and joined Aoshi's side on the rooftop._

"_Thank you for saving me last night. I'm grateful." He turned to her for a few seconds, then looked away again. "So basically, I'm indebted to you, Mr. Shinomori."_

_She lightly blushed before Aoshi permanently turned to her. "If there's anything you need, just tell me what to do."_

_He felt like turning down the offer, but saw the determination on her face. Aoshi felt like she was a girl that could keep promises._

"_There's one thing."_

_Anna looked at him, surprised. He was already asking for a request, but she should have seen it coming._

"_What is it?"_

_He looked at her with the ice blue eyes that held composure over bitterness._

"_Just call me Aoshi."_

_Anna's eyes widened. To be able to call him by his first name…she felt honored. But it still puzzled her why Aoshi would want to be so familiar with a simple girl like her._

_But alas, she smiled and giggled. "Okay."_

* * *

Twilight…the skies grew darker and cold wind began to pick up. The streets were deserted; the only sound was the rustle of leaves. 

5:20. Anna and Aoshi were the second group to arrive. Serena and Darien greeted them with small delight, for they knew they shouldn't be calm just yet.

"Have you talked with Amara and the others?"

Anna nodded to Darien's question. "They said they'll take the distant posts," she explained. "We take the central part of Tokyo while they cover places like the docks."

"If they have time, they're gonna have to come to the Tower," Serena ordered. As they thought, 8 figures emerged from the shadows. Four of them were the scout of the Inner Senshi…and the other half were none other than Chad, Jason, Jerry, and Greg.

'_Did they accept it?'_ Anna wondered. She walked up to them and looked directly in their faces. "You **do** know…right?"

Jerry scratched his head with slight confusion. "Yeah…we know. Kind of a letdown that you girls didn't tell us after all this time."

Serena could see the hint of fear. "You didn't have to come and fight with us."

"We didn't want to let the world down," Jason shrugged. "Let alone you…scouts."

"Just to let you know…" Chad warned ahead of time. "I'm not a very good fighter." Raye slapped her head with embarrassment.

Greg kept a shy tone. "Neither am I."

"Not to worry," Serena assured. "We have special weapons for you to utilize." She directed them to stand in a line, all facing her. On the end, Greg waited nervously for what would happen. Serena walked up to him first and held out her hands. A flash blinded them for a moment and the structure of a long sword appeared. As the light receded, it was revealed that the sword had majestic features: the guard had tips as sharp as a claw, the end of the silver blade beared a lion's head, and a keychain hung off the handle with the same head.

"Lionheart; for the biggest courage."

Greg took the sword in hand. He could feel its power within, waiting to be unleashed. But he wondered if he had the strength to wield that power.

Serena stepped aside and faced Chad with the same stern face. She held out her hands again for another flash. A new blade appeared before Chad in all its fiery orange color. The end of the blade was characterized as a blazing flame, as if spewed by a dragon. The guard was fashioned in an ancient Chinese style and a golden crest hung off the handle as a keychain.

"Hidden Dragon; for one that harbors awesome power that has yet to be revealed."

Chad held the blade with utmost pride. He knew he would use it to protect everyone within sight, including Raye.

Up next was Jerry, who didn't seem at all ecstatic. Everyone could sense his fear of fighting, but the entire world was counting on him. When Serena faced him, he looked straight into her blue orbs. Jerry tried to hide his quivering, but he froze in shock once she revealed his weapon. Once the flash receded, Jerry was left with a blade that was bent on the base. The tip was curved with a crescent moon holding a star, shining brightly than any other. The guard was illustrated as angelic wings, which led to an end fashioned as the North Star. Its keychain curved like the crescent moon, adding a dash to the weapon's wonder.

"Starseeker; for the warrior with the biggest dreams."

As he began to wield the Starseeker, Jerry felt the responsibility and trust that was given to him. All were depending on him, and he gained strength from their trust.

Jason was almost trembling with nervousness as Serena approached him. There wasn't anything special about him compared to the others; all he has is the desire to cook. But everyone was relying on him for support…and he had that eligibility once Serena gave him his weapon. The light appeared again and a unique specific weapon lay before Jason.

Like Greg's, it was silver and beared a carving of a lion's head. But the blade had 2 tips: one that went vertical and another that went horizontal. The vertical side had the head while the horizontal side was in an ancient design. The keychain also had a lion's head.

"Sleeping Lion; you have yet to learn your awesome potential."

Jason took the blade in hand with confidence. Here was nothing special yet, but he knew the true power would come soon.

For some reason, it took Anna and Aoshi by surprise when Serena finally confronted him. He stood tall, like an obedient knight; Aoshi's face was stern and showed no fear.

"Courageous as always, Sir Aoshi," Serena commented. He would have given a small chuckle of relief, but he didn't. Aoshi focused deeply on his duties.

Serena respected his determination and held out her hands. A flash of light appeared and faded in an instant, revealing his fresh weapon. It gave off a bright gleam from the blade in its radiant white shade. The central ridge fashioned the blade as a heart, leading to a star-shaped point. Its guard expanded out like wings, protecting the grip. Off the pommel hung a star keychain in a bright yellow color.

"Oathkeeper; for the one most loyal, one that can keep promises."

At that point, Aoshi glanced at Anna, who lightly caught her breath. It seemed like destiny for him to earn that weapon. Anna felt that deep down, he would be able to harness its power easily.

She just hoped they survive with it.

At last, Serena moved over to her husband. His pure blue eyes looked into hers, expressing love and compassion. Sure enough, Darien wanted to do all he could to protect the future queen.

Serena held out her hands before a final flash of light appeared. Before Darien opened his eyes, a long and powerful sword rested in front of him. Its blade was thin, covered earth swirling graceful designs. The central ridge bore a yellow crown symbol which led to a big heart as the point, protruding three spikes. As the dull part of the blade was covered into a heart, the handle was covered by a spiky guard. The cross-shaped pommel led to a blue & gold crown, analogous to the overall blade's extraordinary blue tint.

"The Ultima Weapon; the mightiest blade ever forged in history."

He paused for a moment before taking the sword into custody. His mind didn't know why, but there was a part of Darien that hesitated. The life of a college student was being thrown away, erased from history once he held the Ultima Weapon.

Power surged through his veins: strength he hadn't felt for so long. Aoshi and the others felt it, too. Courage and brawn overflowed within them, changing their entire selves.

"Woah…"

Jerry held his breath as their clothes deteriorated and suited them up in gleaming sturdy armor. Intricate designs were sported on their protective garments, professing the allegiance to Crystal Tokyo.

Serena grinned proudly as the men accepted their fates and fought for he greater good.

"Thank you. With your support, we will fight to our limits. Just seeing you here gives everyone great honor and strength."

"No problem," Chad assured.

"Exactly." Jason walked closer to Lita. "Just tell us when to start and I'll be th—"

His words were cut short as more flashes streaked across their faces. In an instant, everyone looked up into the golden sky; a pinch of fear washed over.

Immense power was erupted throughout the air. Pods and energy clumps tumbled out of the clouds, heading straight for Tokyo and its oblivious inhabitants. Streams of energy were left in the sky as gruesome creatures drew closer and closer to earth. From afar, it could easily be assumed as a meteor shower…

Boy, were they wrong.

The girls watched in shock as an endless army of diverse enemies swarmed above their heads. Some already made it to the shoreline.

"Holy…shit!" Amy dropped her jaw. That was the first time she herself had ever cursed.

But Raye shook her head. "I'm right there with ya."

Anna's face was the first to turn serious. "Together, we stand. Divided, we fall." All the others slowly agreed. "We can do this!"

Darien raised the Ultima Weapon high in the air.

"FOR THE KINGDOM!!"

Aoshi and the others raised their weapons, cheering right beside him. Their spirits reached unbelievable limits and boosted their power to the max.

As they prepared for the battle of their lives, the six girls stood in front of them and rekindled old feelings. It's been two years since they fought a single battle together; many things have changed.

But one thing hasn't: their aliases.

Serena readied her fingers. "Ready, girls!?"

"Ready!!"

All at once, a moon compact and five transformation rods appeared in their hands. They raised them high in the air, begging for the old power to still be there.

"MOON ETERNAL POWER!!"  
"MERCURY CRYSTAL POWER!!"  
"MARS CRYSTAL POWER!!"  
"JUPITER CRYSTAL POWER!!"  
"VENUS CRYSTAL POWER!!"  
"SOLAR CRYSTAL POWER!!"

Her eternal powers were only a one-time deal, but Anna rejoined the rest of her team as their garments dissolved away. Skirts laced up around their waists. A sailor suit covered their upper bodies with a bow on their chests. Gloves extended on their arms as boots and high heels flashed on their feet. Tiaras protected their foreheads and gleamed with a jewel according to their color.

Greg, Chad, Jason, and Jerry marveled at the sight as the truth was revealed. All this time, they were so close to superheroes and they noticed nothing.

It felt nostalgic to Darien and Aoshi as they saw them: Sailor Venus, Sailor Jupiter, Sailor Mars, Sailor Mercury, Sailor Galaxy, and their leader, Sailor Moon.

The sailor scouts have returned!!

* * *

Yeah. Third chapter. Not that much happened. But I promise you a lot of butt-kicking action in the next chapter! See ya!! 


	4. Battle for the Kingdom

**Battle for the Kingdom**

_Many of his neighbors warned how waking up early would affect his health, especially at a young age. But Aoshi assured all of them, he was fine: besides, he needed the money._

_He had no parents. They vanished from his life when he was 13...all because of a drunk asshole that didn't see the red light. Since then, Aoshi never tolerated alcohol._

_Life has been empty to him for three years. He did what was necessary to survive in the world: get a job, live in an apartment that might as well be a box, and any signs of friendship didn't even show. However...the fact that he couldn't find why he followed Anna that night bothered him._

_'I mean yes, I saved her, but...why do I seem so close?'_

_Aoshi unlocked the door to his dojo and flicked the lights on. Everything was kept neat and clean, just as he left it last night. No significant colors decorated the walls except black and tan. Dogis and training weapons were kept on the side, prepared to be of use. The mat on the floor was lined up straight and cleaned of any mess: saliva, sweat, blood...you get the picture._

_He checked the the clock on the wall that read 7:59._

_Only a few more minutes until his students came._

_Walking over to the back room, Aoshi took off his first shirt and left himself in a white undershirt. He was about to work on the belt around his waist to let his jeans fall until he sensed a presence emerging from outside. It was faint and distant, but he was certain someone was coming his way…one that he was familiar with._

_Pacing over to the front door, his steps became increasingly faster. His hand gripped the doorknob tightly to swing it wide open…_

_And he found Anna Onodera facing him._

_She looked up at him with her calm blue orbs. Her purple hair was kept up in a bun with her bangs hanging at the side. The blue jeans were ripped as it matched stylishly with her gray t-shirt._

_"Aoshi..."_

_"Miss Onodera...? What brings you here?"_

_She slowly brought her arms which carried tupperware containing red substance. Aoshi quickly looked down at it before returning to her attention. "It's gelatin," she explained. "...It's a thank-you...for saving me the other night."_

_Anna extended her arms and offered it to him. The young master took it and observed it closely, feeling grateful for the offer. He looked back at her as she stood silently at the doorway._

_"Come on in," he said silently as he walked over to the table, setting down the gelatin. Anna politely stepped in and closed the door before setting her shoes to the side._

_"How are your wounds?"_

_She paused for a moment before checking the indicated bone. "It's all right. Fully healed." She looked towards Aoshi, although his back was turned. "Thanks for treating my wounds...and I'm sorry about your students."_

_Aoshi gave a small shake of the head. "It's all right. They were at the bottom of the class, anyway."_

_He glanced up at the clock and sighed. Classes were about to begin. "Miss Onodera..." He turned to see her prepared to talk. "I apologize, but my students are about to come soon. Perhaps we-"_

_"It's okay."_

_She started to walk towards the back room as if instinctively. Aoshi watched her pass by with confusion and stretched out his hand, his jaw slightly hanging._

_'What's she doing?'_

_"I'll stick here for a while. Got nowhere else to go on weekends."_

_Aoshi didn't want to seem rude. "Perhaps you can stay on the side and watch my students train."_

_She denied his offer. "Nah. I prefer not to fight. I'm not a rough type of person."_

"SOLAR HACHIREN CROSS!"

Sailor Galaxy swiped her daggers through an entire squad of enemies, forcing them to give up on life. Blood stained her blades, but that didn't stop her from advancing to another group.

_'Fuck! how can there be this many creeps in the universe!'_ She looked up into the sky and saw more cavalry coming towards Tokyo. As if it wasn't enough._ 'It's like those kenjutsu students again...times quadrillion!'_ she whined inwardly. The entire square and bay were swarming with adversaries, varying from simple to formidable, and some impossible to take down alone.

She wheeled around and found a troll-like fiend rushing in her direction. It only took a second for Galaxy to realize that she was the target.

_'Oh, great.'_

Its broad sword was lightly taller than her. The mighty creature swung it down with both hands on Galaxy's head before she crossed her daggers atop her form. Both sides struggled for power, but the scout could tell she was slowly losing. Galaxy strained until the blade was close to scratching her face; she need a plan B.

Sailor Galaxy immediately dropped her daggers and slid into the space between the troll's arms and body. She jumped up high above its head, stretching out her arms and summoned her daggers back in her hands. Landing on its shoulder, Galaxy drove her blades deep into the troll's backside in an attempt to finally bring it down.

And it worked.

The monster groaned as it tumbled forward and died on the ground. The solar scout pulled her blades out and leaped off in time...only to be aimed at by extraterrestrial archers. Their bows an crossbows were at the ready, threatening to take life away from Sailor Galaxy. She raised her arms to defend herself on the oncoming slaughter, but nonetheless, the scout knew she would feel pain.

That was when the Oathkeeper sliced off foreign heads all at once. One archer was able to react in time and pulled the trigger on its crossbow, sending an arrow to slash Sailor Galaxy on the cheek. A stinging sensation coursed through her face, but she felt relieved that Aoshi was safe.

He ran up and noticed the crimson leak on her face.

"You all right?"

She feverishly nodded. "Yeah...just a scratch..."

His hand traveled up to her face as her voice trailed away. Galaxy's blood began to boil, warm to Aoshi's touch. Looking up at his eyes, she saw him stare straight back down, unable to avert his gaze.

More than anything, she wanted it all to be over, so that they could be alone and together. Their hearts raced at every touch: when Sailor Galaxy tightly clutched onto his arm with desperation in her eyes, and when he was close to pulling her into an embrace. As Aoshi leaned forward to bring his face to hers, there was enough room for Sailor Galaxy to

Sailor Jupiter had to outrun them. There was no point in attacking: every time she stopped and made a direct hit on one of them, ten more would replace it. If only she could take them all out in one attack, but the fiends were chasing her relentlessly.

_'I'll be done for soon enough!'_

Looking ahead, she caught sight of a tall lamplight, which showed no aging or deterioration. Jupiter rushed to it, leaving the enemies in her dust as she reached out and grabbed the pole with both hands. Lifted off her feet, she swung 360 degrees in a horizontal position, leaving the scout to smash her pursuers straight in the face with her boot.

In a domino effect, the first fiend fell backward and crashed into another monster that collided with another...and another, and another...until an entire row of enemies were down for the count. Jupiter let go of the streetlight and face them boldly, holding her hands out in front of her.

"JUPITER THUNDERCLAP..."

Energy surged through her palms at an incredible speed. It brightly glowed, illuminating her face to reveal gritted teeth. Sailor Jupiter tried hard to increase the power, yet contain it; she didn't want lightning bolts shooting all around.

She compressed and held the energy in her right palm, aiming it straight at the monster.

"ZAP!"

Hurling the sphere of lightning, she released the energy and sent it to the fallen enemies, making them stay fallen. Jupiter sighed with victory, but it was no time to celebrate: fifty more adversaries arrived to pummel her confidence...with weapons.

_'I'm definitely done for.'_

Sweat dripped down her face from exhaustion and nerves. She was alone; all the other scouts were busy fighting their own battles. Sadly, no one was there to help.

Except for one.

As the enemies circled around her, closing in, a lion's head came down from above and crashed down on one of their skulls. The body was split in two, collapsing on both sides with insides spilling out onto the street.

Jupiter was taken by surprise for a moment...but remembered her mission. Swiftly, she crossed her arms before her body and summoned energy within.

"JUPITER THUNDER CRASH!"

Lightning bolts shot down from the sky and crashed into the circling enemies, reducing them to dust. Flashes of light blurred her vision, but Jupiter knew that Jason was her savior.

"Wow...that was strong," she heard. As the flashes died down, it took a while for her vision to fix itself and allow her to see Jason safe and unharmed.

"Did you get hurt?"

Jason shook his head. "Nope. I just went slicing and dicing." A smile appeared on his face, making her feel warm inside.

"Good." His cooking skills were actually helpful in combat. It made Sailor Jupiter feel happy and proud to be with him.

But her smile quickly faded as she noticed imp-like creatures coming towards them, lusting for their heads. Jason and Sailor Jupiter stood side by side and looked opposite ways, glaring into the eyes of their enemies.

"You ready?" he asked as he looked towards her.

A smirk appeared on her face as if the question was funny. "I was born ready!"

With a nod of heads, the scout and warrior ran in opposing directions and killed.

She was brave enough; she knew she could do it. So why was Sailor Mars afraid of dying?

Gremlins and extraterrestrials blocked every path and smirked at their chance of victory. The red scout faced them with a cold scowl...to hide her true feelings.

_'Are the others okay? I'm mince meat if I can't defeat these guys.'_

Just then, a snickering goblin lashed out at her with a fiery whip, ready to make third degree burns. Sailor Mars was able to see it coming in time and dodged it, but a few strands of hair met a sizzling fate.

"So..." she growled at the goblin."You wanna fight fire with fire, huh?"

She pulled out an ofuda scroll and held it before her face. Kanji and symbols labeled it as a cleansing tag, but Sailor Mars used it for other purposes.

"I call upon the power of Mars!"

Spiritual energy surged through the scroll and invoked its powers within. It waved with the air violently until the scroll snapped straight. In an instant, Sailor mars leaped into the air and threw it towards a single monster in the horrendous crowd.

"MARS FIREBIRD STRIKE!"

A blast of fire was aimed straight at the scroll with intense heat. her fingertips released the flame with great speed, catching the piece of paper in time to engulf it and burn the ink.

And it activated the magicks inside. Instead of burning to ashes, the scroll began to change shape into a fiery phoenix, shrieking for its final freedom. Its eye sockets sparkled with a crimson glow as it soared directly at the monsters, making close contact and catching them on fire.

They were engulfed and scorched to the bone. Sailor Mars showed no mercy in her expression whilst they fell to the ground and cried in pain, hoping for a way to oust the fire. But it had already spread throughout the group of comrades and dooming them to lose their lives as well.

Sailor Mars was left to land in a circle of ashes, giving a small grin to her accomplishment.

"A lot down...billions of more to go."

Not far away, Chad did his best to diminish the numbers with the Hidden Dragon, but they continued to multiply by the second. Blood ran down his temples and arm, and his movements slowly lost their pace.

"Chad!"

He was weak; he wasn't born with the ability to fight. But the one thing that motivated Chad to do all that he can was the safety of Raye. As long as she was okay, he would sacrifice himself happily.

But they both knew Chad was reaching his limit.

_'No...gotta...keep going...'_

Deep breaths attacked his lungs; his muscles constricted with every movement; blood was leaving his veins fast. Chad tiredly swung the Hidden Dragon as his knees began to shake.

The fiends knew he was close to finished. Giving a small glimmer in their eyes, they readied their weapons and charged towards the fatigue-stricken warrior.

"Oh no, you don't!"

Sailor Mars clapped her hands together and stuck out her index fingers. Furious amounts of rage and power were built up inside as she concentrated deeply.

"MARS FIRE..."

A sphere emerged from the flames at her fingertips and heat swelled all around the area. The crimson glow illuminated her face and revealed the sweat and frustration that she had to endure. Mars looked at Chad as he restlessly held the weapon above his head, finding no strength to bring it back down. Aiming the sphere at the Hidden Dragon, the scout mustered all her energy and fed the flames with high potency.

"IGNITE!"

The powerful sphere blasted out of her fingertips and swirled its path to the Hidden Dragon. As soon as it got close, it began to come apart and spread out in its space. The flames shrouded the blade all around and gave it a gleaming shine, endowing strong forces.

Chad could feel the power through the Hidden Dragon as it coursed through his debilitated veins. His breaths returned from ragged to normal and tightened his grip on the blade. All the enemies stared up at the blazing flames and watched them leap and whip around, increasing in both power and size.

"All right!"

His blade suddenly whipped down and unleashed a wild blaze of fire, aiming straight at the enemies. Unluckily, they had nowhere to go; the flames went everywhere as they turned back or uselessly tried to face it head-on. As it swallowed them up like food, their skins and hides melted away, feeding the fire.

A bonfire was created in front of Chad as all the countless enemies vanished in the flames. Dropping the weapon to the ground, he heavily gasped for breath out of exhaustion and overheat. Sweat drenched his hair, making him feel heavier as he felt his knees knockig with each other. They finally gave up on him, making him lose control and slowly fall forward toward the fire.

"I...I did it..."

His eyelids began dropping, blocking his view of the victory. But that wasn't all; he knew faling into the fire would attack his life couldn't move. His strength was gone. His support was gone...

But Sailor Mars came up in time to catch him. His exhaustion made him weigh heavier, but she did her best to keep him up on his feet.

"Chad...you're all right."

As he rested quietly on her shoulder, the scout sighed and silently thanked the gods for his life through tears.

The alleyway was the only place to go. He had no other place to run to; everywhere was guarded off by the monsters that pursued him. Greg was able to hack off some of their limbs, but despite that, they still kept coming.

The Lionheart was strong enough to take them down in a single sweep. The only problem was his bravery. Sadly, he still belittled himself for not being strong enough.

_'I can't do anything right!'_

He knew running away was wrong, but his body didn't follow his commands. By then, they were gaining on him, and they would soon overrun the young man. His only hope was the alleyway, which he knew would lead to a dead end.

But he still took it. Waiting for the right moment, Greg took a sharp turn and ran down the alley with hope of losing, he hoped they would eventually give up and run after someone else.

They weren't that stupid and gullible. The fiends copied his sharp turn and gained even more speed, ending up right at his heels.

_'Oh, man. Where's everyone else?'_

Scouts and warriors were lost in the battle behind him. None of them were free to lend a hand let alone save him. Quickly, Greg wished at least _one _person was there. By then, a fat pork-like creature almost got his pitchfork into the cowering boy. No one was there; he was all by himself. Final thoughts and prayers ran through his mind, pleading desperately for a second chance.

"MERCURY AQUA RHAPSODY!"

From above, a sudden rush of water flooded the alley behind Greg. The monsters couldn't stand up against the current and force, despite their "almighty" powers. Choking on the thrashing water, they tumbled and slipped, falling back to knock over their companions. Weapons flew everywhere and their garments, if they had any, became waterlogged, raising the level of difficulty of regaining balance.

Greg was filled with joy that the chase was over, but it didn't stop him from stumbling in the alley, crashing down on his chin. The pain numbed his face as he could tell by rubbing his chin until a sound of someone jumping down was behind him.

"Greg!"

Recognizing the voice, his head wheeled around to see Sailor Mercury plastered with a worried expression on her face. The warrior knew it came from concern about him, but it also came from concern over his humiliating effort of escaping a battle.

"Are you okay?" she asked with worry, but with a hint of embarrassment in her voice.

He slowly nodded his head. "Yeah..."

As Greg began to look away, Sailor Mercury couldn't avert her gaze. She understood that he was hurting inside as well as outside, but the man in front of her should have more courage by now. Belief in him was poured out of her to give him strength, but obviously it wasn't enough. Their lost thoughts distracted them from the moment at hand, when a swift adversary rushed up and prepared is blade for Sailor Mercury. Both she and Greg noticed too late, as the weapon slashed down and ripped off a line of skin off of Mercury's arm.

The powers within the blade stung like hell; she could feel it sinking into her body and inflicting pain everywhere. Mercury tried to stifle it, but she couldn't help but scream out. It also attacked her lungs as she screamed, causing her to keel over and fall to the ground. Blood excessively flowed when unnecessary; her deep breaths showed that there was more to the enemy than meets the eye.

Greg's face turned white at the sight of her injury and crimson leak.

_'What's wrong with me!'_

For as long as he can remember, everyone else helped him out in the nick of time...and all he did was play the "damsel" in distress. All that was special about him was that he could see into the future. No physical strength came with him...and he needed it now more than ever.

His feelings for Amy sort of helped him continue on since high school, but nothing really changed: he's still smart, he's still weak, and he still can't do anything to help his friends and loved ones. Luckily, for all the past times, everyone survived safely.

And then Sailor Mercury comes along to almost die in front of him.

_'Amy...if she's gone...what will happen?'_

He didn't want to stay still to find out.

Sailor Mercury found little powers left in her to help both her and Greg. One of her hands was already tied up trying to stop the bleeding. The enemies behind continued to regain consciousness from her attack and prepare to attack, wanting to keep her head as a trophy. Everywhere in her body was wracking with pain; she knew the end was near as the sight of the enemy's sword appeared through her eyes. She was done for. Closing her eyes one final time, Mercury waited for the fatal blow that would end her life.

But it didn't come. For a few seconds, all she heard was the scraping of steel. The scout curiously opened her eyes and slowly looked up, marveling her eyes at her savior.

Greg tried hard to push back the enemy's weapon, but they were neck to neck in power. It was unexplainable: a few minutes ago, he had no strength at all to even make a scratch on their armor. How could he suddenly flex his muscles, hold up the Lionheart to block the enemy's blade, and be able to keep it steady?

She stared shocked at his surprising courage. Who knew Greg would turn from a wimpy nerd to a brave fighter? Warmly, she began to smile at his efforts and accomplishments.

But it was all over when the monster raked his blade over the Lionheart and slashed into Greg's shoulder. The cold steel dug deep into his flesh and drew out blood in a messy manner. His arm felt like ripping off, but the pain proved that it was still attached as it brought him down to his knees.

_'No!' _Through his agitated stinging sensations, he began to cry desperately inside. _'Someone needs to protect Amy! No one else is around; we're done for!'_

Both of them looked up at the grinning monsters, waiting to tear them to shreds. Sailor Mercury still didn't find any power to save them from imminent death; there was no way Greg could get back up right away. They were done for.

Sweat dripped down their faces as they stared agitatedly at the monsters. Blades gleamed in the light as they foresaw their murder. Closing their eyes shut, Greg and Sailor Mercury flinched as the monsters charged with weapons in hand.

"URANUS WORLD SHAKING!"

A bright golden sphere shot down from above, taking the leading monster by surprise as it was disintegrated to a million particles. The flash blinded all that were around the monster, but Mercury and Greg noticed two figures appear before them.

"Looks like you guys could use some help," one of them inspected.

As she noticed the light receding, Sailor Mercury opened and eyelid and became overtaken with happiness and relief. The short blonde and wavy aquamarine hair grew out of two girls with dark navy boots and uniforms. Jewels on their tiaras glimmered in the light along with their lighthearted smirks.

"Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune!"

Sailor Neptune gave a nod of encouragement. "Who else?" She turned around and saw the breathless horde of fiends after witnessing their comrade's death.

"These ones are mine."

Placing her hands before her, a cascade of sea water suddenly appeared around her body. An aquatic sphere was created in her hands as Neptune summoned an immense amount of energy, increasing in power and size every passing second. The monsters watched in horror at the oncoming doom, realizing their inevitable fate.

"NEPTUNE DEEP SUBMERGE!"

The sphere shot out of her palms and sped toward the shocked enemies. Before they knew it, a gigantic rush of sea water overtook them and decimated their numbers in an instant. Taking in the water from before was bad enough, but now they had no other escape but death. As they were washed away from the alley, their bodies shrunk into dust and nothing; no remains were found after the water drained into the faraway gutters.

After checking that the area was wiped clean, Uranus and Neptune turned back to their allies. Sailor Mercury and Greg looked up with gratitude.

"Are we glad to see you..." The scout of Mercury was able to relax tiredly while taking deep breaths. But she knew their task wasn't done just yet: that was only the beginning. "What took you guys?" she breathed out.

"It's rough all over Tokyo," Sailor Uranus explained. "We of the Outer Senshi had some tough spots, but luckily, _they_ actually came."

Greg cocked an eyebrow and said hoarsely "'They'?"

"VENUS LOVE CHAIN ENCIRCLE!"

The golden chain spun everywhere: through the trees, over the lake, underneath benches, and all other places. Sailor Venus was able to control it with ease, breaking into the chests of the monsters and turning them into dust. Jerry fund some formidable opponents to spar with, although he knew his life was on the line. Both of them were cautious of their safety and for one another, but the other side kept on multiplying, and hope was slowly disappearing.

It seemed like they've been fighting forever. Not once did their attacks stop or get a break; they continued to attack after attack after attack...it was never ending. Crossroads Park was like the center of the battle, with no end to the slaughtering army.

"We should try to keep them contained as much as we can!" Venus tried to call out. "There's too much for everyone to handle!"

"If we contain them, it'll be too much for _us_ to handle!" The young idol slashed through another fiend with the Starseeker, quickly redrawing his sword to strike again. "I'm gonna drop soon!"

The dreaded thought haunted Venus. If Jerry were to die in the battle...and they won...how could she ever go on without him? He's the **only** person for her to live with, him and no one else. She tried hard to make sure he stayed up and fighting, but the numbers against them were just too much.

It was time to get serious. Seething with anger, the scout held out her palm as an orange heart suddenly appeared.

"VENUS..."

Jerry moved away, out of her line of fire so he doesn't get hit along with the adversaries. Sailor Venus blew a speedy kiss and the heart multiplied in an instant into countless heart-shaped bombs.

"LOVE BEAUTY SHOCK!"

Throwing them towards the enemies, the bombs exploded upon impact and made a bloody mess in the army. Immediately, their numbers were decimated and a huge gap was left between Jerry and the surviving comrades.

They didn't need to be told twice; they knew retreat was the only solution. The monsters turned around and headed to the exits with high speed, leaving the scout and the warrior in their dust.

"No!" Sailor Venus tried to chase after some and defeat them with her attack. "We can't let them leave the park! Sailor Moon's counting on us!"

Jerry had to think fast. Sooner or later, things were gonna turn ugly. Everyone in the world, the entire universe, depended on him to help Crystal Tokyo's existence.

He raced to beat the others to the entrance first. Up against billions of aliens, Jerry somehow knew he wouldn't win. But he had to believe: if he didn't reach the entrance in time, the other scouts and warriors would be flooded with enemies. Focusing on the task at hand, he noticed that he wouldn't reach them.

_'I have to beat them...'_ As he was lost in thoughts, the horde of adversaries seemed to be going faster while he was going slower. _'Mina...everyone...the world...I have to fight...for THEM!"_

His speed suddenly picked up. Jerry felt like he could reach out to them and pulled them back before killing all of them. But he knew it wouldn't happen as he saw one of the monsters just pass through.

_'DAMMIT!'_

"STAR SERIOUS LASER!"  
"STAR SENSITIVE INFERNO!"

Two yellow beams shot out of nowhere and tackled the monster down before blowing it to bits. Surprised, Jerry and the fiends stopped in their tracks and gaped widely...for they saw two young girls dressed in skimpy black leather give menacing glares.

"You won't take another step!"

One of them had long black hair while the other grew long silver locks. They were kept in ponytails that hung down the backs.

"The Starlights are here to help!" the silver-haired one announced.

_'Starlights...who...__**what**__ the fuck are they?'_ Jerry was confused enough that there were more scouts, but he was even more confused about their uniforms...if they were even qualified as uniforms.

The black-haired Starlight looked over at Jerry with curiosity. "You there," he pointed to the warrior. "Are you helping the sailor scouts?"

It took a while for Jerry to nod. The Starlights' faces lit with joy.

"That's great! I'm Sailor Star Fighter. She's Healer," she explained jabbing a thumb to her companion. "And our other partner, Maker, is..."

By then, the fiends were irritated. Enough time was wasted. They raised their weapons high above and charged at the two Starlights. Jerry tried to help them out through his distraught state, but another yellow beam was his substitution.

"STAR GENTLE CREATOR!"

Jerry didn't dare move when the beam shot directly next to him. He could feel its intense power and energy; it was fortunate that the attack wasn't meant for him. Scrambling to get out of the way, the monsters tried to find a means of escape.

But Jerry and the Starlights got them in a tight corner. As soon as the beam made direct contact, each and every fiend was decimated and reduced to ashes. The beam slowly faded away, the enemies were gone, and two figures emerged from behind Jerry.

"Boy, are we lucky that you guys were here," Sailor Venus said gratefully. Running up to Jerry, she checked for any injuries that could have been fatal or serious. But he had other things on his mind than wounds.

"You know them, Mina?"

She gave a quick nod after seeing that he was safe. "They helped us out a few years back, and now they're pretty good friends."

Sailor Star Maker joined her partners and looked around at the horror that fell upon Tokyo. "We should hurry up and help the princess."

Jerry looked towards the trio and eyed them keenly. Their power was so strong and powerful, it was a miracle that they came to aid in the fight. Together with the Starlights and Sailor Venus, they left the cleared park, charging into the new horde of adversaries that could change the future of the world.

It was like they were attracted to Starlight Tower, as if there was an unimaginable force that they want to claim for their own inside.

"STARLIGHT HONEYMOON THERAPY KISS!"

Sailor Moon wheeled the Eternal Tiare in a circle, commanding the beam to blast into the surrounding enemies. Not far away, Darien was busy hacking through hellhounds with a thirst for blood, trying his hardest to avoid their sharp Ultima Weapon proved to be the strongest by eliminating all in one swing; the beasts whimpered before disappearing into thin air.

The leader was glad to see that he could handle things on his own. _'That's one of the things I love about him.'_ Going back to reality, Sailor Moon performed a jump kick on a provocative maiden that was really a siren. As soon as the siren evaporated and she landed on the ground, a pair of sharp claws dug into Sailor Moon's shoulders and stopped her struggle. She cried out in pain, feeling the blood pour out like water and drench her sailor suit. Looking up, her blue orbs stared frightened at the demonic eagle, as if it was a spawn of hell. Its eyes glowed with a lava shading, its beak was as sharp as its talons, and it released an ear-splitting shriek that was unbearable to the human ear.

Darien cowered and covered his ears tightly, trying to block out the horrendous sound. As soon as he looked back up, the eagle already picked up Sailor Moon off from the ground and took her into the blood-stained sky.

"Serena!" Abandoning his post, he quickly ran to the direction where the eagle was headed. But the hounds had other plans. As he ran past, they jumped atop Darien's form and sank their fangs into his limbs, holding him down with all their strength.

_'Dammit!' _He endured the pain, but turned frustrated at the bird's easy prey and escape. _'Serena...NO!'_

"PLUTO DEADLY SCREAM!"

A sphere of dark energy was blasted towards the eagle at an incredible speed, catching it off guard. Before it was able to hit, the bird inadvertently released Sailor Moon from its talons.

"No!" Darien quickly threw off the hounds and rushed to catch Sailor Moon before she plummeted to her doom. He held her close as they slid across the concrete and landed beside two pairs of boots. Looking up achingly, the prince lightly chuckled at the sight.

"Well...took you some time to get here."

Sailor Pluto and Sailor Saturn grasped their staffs tightly while defending Darien and Sailor Moon. The young girl stretched out a hand and helped Darien up to his feet while still holding Sailor Moon.

"There's not much time left," Saturn explained. Turning around, she saw a group of demons rushing up with swords and daggers. But it wasn't a threat to the scout.

"SATURN SILENT DEATH!"

Aiming her glaive at the group, she released an immense energy wave to smack them right in the face. Their hides and skin were blown off in an instant as the bones clattered on the ground.

Just then, a deep tremor shook the earth and all the monsters suddenly grew eccentric. They faced Starlight Tower with cheers and blithe screams, and left all the scouts confused.

"Hey!"

Sailor Moon turned around as she saw the scouts along with the other boys running up worriedly.

"What's going on!" Sailor Mars screamed.

The tremors got worse as Starlight Tower began to crumble away...but only the exterior. As the concrete and plaster fell, splattering some of the adversaries, a sudden shine excreted from the building that was as bright as the North Star. Majestic shapes of crystals shot out and formed a fanciful sight of a building.

"It's the palace," Galaxy muttered.

A feeling of power and confidence washed over Sailor Moon. She was changing inside...from a princess to a queen.

Placing her hands in front of her, the Silver Imperium Crystal appeared and flashed bright lights, blinding all around her. Her garments ripped away as she was dressed in the elegant white dress that they all saw before...the one that Princess Serenity wore. The boys stood amazed again at her true form, gazing hypnotized at the crystal.

"The tower," she said. All turned their heads up and saw a tiny pedestal, perfect for holding a jewel such as the Silver Crystal.

"We gotta bring you up there!" Sailor Jupiter looked for a path for Serenity to take.

Sailor Uranus found it useless. "There's no clear way for her to get there in time. If she gets there too late, the battle will be lost!"

Aoshi shook his head. "No...She needs to go straight up."

Everyone understood what he meant. It was dangerous, but it was the only sure way for victory. Serenity looked at the royal court with desperate eyes, hoping they weren't too afraid to risk their lives for the sake of the kingdom. She wasn't sure why she would ask such a selfish question.

But all of them nodded with certainty.

"We won't run away," Sailor Mercury assured.

Serenity smiled gratefully. The men nodded reassuringly as well to show that they were on board as well. Commandingly, she nodded back and held out the crystal.

"Get ready!"

As soon as the command was given, the scouts along with the Starlights leapt up onto the Tower, each one going up on every higher floor. The boys watched them take their respectful positions, prepared for anything. It worried them about what would happen. Remembering their own task, they faced the monsters on the ground level with scowls and strong weapons.

This was the last strike. It's all or nothing. Princess Serenity felt the crystal grow stronger as she glared into the eyes of all the adversaries in Tokyo.

"Do not take us for granted. In the name of the moon, I _**will**_ punish you!"

Aoshi took one last glance up at the tower, hoping to find Sailor Galaxy safe. It was a make it or break it attempt: if Serenity couldn't reach the top, all would be lost. After all they had been through, none of it would matter if they couldn't make it into the new Silver Millennium. His promise to protect Anna was fresh in his mind, and he'd die before breaking it.


	5. New World

**New World**

The skies darkened to pitch black. Wind began to pick up and lash at their faces. Despite the burning cold, the boys stood their ground and attacked relentlessly. One by one, fiends met their end at the hands of the warriors, but eventually they were gonna drop.

Darien thought of what would happen if they fell. If there was no one to protect them, the scouts would fail at their mission to save the world. It was all or nothing; if they died...all inhabitants of earth would plunge into darkness and chaos. If they won, the world would truly be a Utopia.

But it was time to face reality: things like that were to happen only if a price was paid...

_One strike and his student was already down to the ground. Sores attacked his temples and back, not to mention his chest where Aoshi slammed with the bokken. The boy was lucky not to receive head trauma, but everything was still numb._

_Standing before him, his master gripped his own weapon fiercely, trying to endure the fatigue that overwhelmed him. It's been a while since he had a fair and exhilarating challenge. "Good job," he commented. His student chuckled behind his dueling helmet._

_"All right," Aoshi announced as he pulled off his own helmet. His students surrounding the dueling mat could see little sweat drenching his face, as if he would exhausted after such a minor battle. All of them knew of his outstanding potential, since they were beaten every day by it._

_"Class is over. Be prepared for the tournament that's coming up." And with that, his students began to collect their belongings before staggering out the door with bruises appearing everywhere. Some of them were courteous enough to say goodbye formally, but he paid no attention. Instead, Aoshi slowly crept up to the back sliding door, where he knew Anna awaited for the end of classes._

_He opened the sliding door, darting his eyes straight at the girl kneeling in front of the rows of plaques adorning the wall. Anna quickly turned around and gasped with shock, but she eventually revealed a smile. "Are you done? Do you need me to leave?" She asked the last question with a bit of disappointment, but he just shook his head._

_"No...it's fine. Stay a little while longer." Aoshi sighed before walking up and suddenly sitting next to Anna. A light ruby blush colored her cheeks, but she tried to shake it away as she thought of a way to strike a conversation._

"_So, how did you learn swordsmanship?"_

_He gave her an odd look for the shortest second but ultimately decided to go along. "My parents signed me up for lessons…but to be honest, I really wanted to learn."_

_She chuckled before hugging her knees close to her chest. "My mom and dad force me to do a lot of things," she explained in a tone that quickly turned sour. "They never ask for my consent."_

"_Just go along with their wishes," he proposed; a tiny smirk appeared on his lips as he saw her perturbed expression. Aoshi remembered that young teens were still in their highest rebellious phase. "You may not like their wishes, Anna, but then it becomes beneficial in the end."_

_Not completely understanding, Anna frowned before resting her chin atop her knees. "How do I know if it's something I need in life?"_

"_Just be yourself. You'll be fine." His calm tone made her feel certain that Aoshi was telling the truth. "Eventually, you'll feel like it's a part of you."_

_Having a light bounce in her step, she got up to her feet and turned to Aoshi. In time, he looked up with a surprised face, wondering what she was about to do._

_"This place seems really interesting." She gave a light giggle, bending over to place her hands on her knees. "Is it okay if I come over once in a while?"_

_He didn't mind, but it puzzled him why a young girl would want to hang around this neck of the woods. There was nothing special about it: a simple dojo with a teenage master who basically had nothing else to do in his life. Everything around him had no meaning..._

_Except for the night when he met Anna. For some reason, Aoshi felt things were going to change when she showed up in his life. And he didn't know if they were good or bad things. The young master knew one thing for certain: he was going to take some kind of responsibility for her._

_But Aoshi didn't care. Things were finally starting to happen in his life. His surprised expression turned content and warm._

_"Sure."_

_He just hoped she wasn't enough trouble._

Starlight Tower was about 100 stories high, one of the tallest buildings in all of Japan. It looked impossible for any employee to have a job here, but they still dared to apply.

It would be no problem for the scouts if they worked there. Although they couldn't be seen, Serenity knew that the scouts and Starlights scattered themselves evenly between the floors. Having full confidence within them, she turned back to the monstrous horde and glared. The princess held the Silver Crystal in front of her as it glowed brightly.

"MOON CRYSTAL POWER!"

Flashes of light were emitted through the minute jewel, blinding the enemies of clear vision. Some of them pulled back, but most of them decided to go in an all-out attack.

Luckily, the boys jumped in on time and slashed through their walls. Some strength diminished during the battles, but they were able to hold their ground. Serenity clutched tightly onto the crystal while backing away, drawing closer to Darien and Aoshi. Together, they crouched down and laid their hands out flat, waiting for the princess to step upon them. She knew of their plan and agreed to go along by lightly stepping on their hands.

The moment her heel made contact with their palms, Darien and Aoshi grunted while hoisting her entire body into the air, hurling the princess straight up to the sky with great velocity. She could feel the air rush to her head, but it didn't matter as it lashed her face and briefly deafened her; what mattered the most was her hold on the silver crystal as it continued to shine brightly. Serenity shot her gaze straight up into the sky as she left the men to handle the battle on ground level, silently thanking them for all the hard work they gave into a battle that they didn't ask for, but gladly volunteering.

After flying past 10 floors, the Starlights were within her sight, at the ready to give assistance. Serenity stretched out a hand while using the other to hold the crystal close to her body. Fighter grabbed her outstretched hand as Maker and Healer went into a midair position similar to Darien and Aoshi.

"FIGHTER STAR POWER!"  
"MAKER STAR POWER!"  
"HEALER STAR POWER!"

Three beams of light blasted out of the stars on their foreheads, swirling around before coalescing into the crystal. Serenity could feel their power add to her own, but it wasn't enough to complete her attack. The Starlights continued to give effort into hoisting her farther up, keeping her from falling back down to ground level. As they released their grasp, the velocity was faster and more time was reduced in Serenity's flight to the top. She admired the Starlights' efforts and help after the incident with Galaxia.

Up next were Sailor Pluto and Saturn, who awaited on the 20th floor at the ready. Serenity brought her knees up to her chest as they also went into an identical position as before. All that mattered was getting her to the top, despite their hazardous actions. Once her heels reached their palms, the scout of time and destruction gathered all their powers to their maximum point.

"PLUTO CRYSTAL POWER!"  
"SATURN CRYSTAL POWER!"

Streams of dark green and purple energy shot out of their tiaras, swirling around until they were absorbed into the silver crystal. Serenity struggled to hold all the power in her hands, but she knew there was still more to give. The scouts continued through and swung their arms up to shoot Serenity faster into the sky before plummeting down to ground level, where they allied with the others to fight the army. Serena made sure to never forget the support and belief they gave into hoping for a better future, a better world...a better life.

Within a matter of seconds, Serenity could see Uranus on the 30th floor, ready to give aid. She expressed a feeling of gratitude and relief, but the sight of one of the fiends changed it to instant dread. It hopped out of the floor right under Sailor Uranus, desiring to harm the upcoming princess.

"Oh no, you don't!" Uranus instantly whipped out her Space Sword and threw it like a dagger directly at the monster's heart. Once it was only a breath away from the princess, the blade carved through its still heart and morphed into millions of dust particles. Serenity shielded her eyes from the blinding dust, passing through them and eventually reaching Sailor Uranus.

And that was when Sailor Neptune came out from the 40th floor. They knew the princess needed to get to the top fast in order to save as many lives as possible. If Uranus used all her strength, supported by mere seconds later by even more power, Serenity's velocity would grow and get her even faster to the top of the tower. She trusted their plan and reeled her arm back before hurling it up to Neptune's position, where she caught it with ease. Uranus held out her arm and clutched tightly onto Serenity's, using every muscle to throw her higher up.

"URANUS CRYSTAL POWER!"

A golden beam shot out of her tiara and swirled around Serenity's straight form. It surged into the silver crystal, adding more power than before and filling in the gap required for the power of Uranus.

On the 40th floor, Neptune stretched out the silver crystal to Serenity, who eventually linked hands with the scout. Her eyes caught a glimpse of a smile on Neptune's face, expressing gratitude and loyalty.

"You'll be a great ruler."

Her words caught Serenity off guard. The smile reminded her of when she said the exact same words to Nehellenia so long ago. Was it true? Would Serenity be as great as her mother was on the Moon Kingdom? One thing was for sure: Neptune had extraordinary faith in her, and that was enough for the princess.

A smile appeared on her own face as Neptune quickly handed her the crystal and threw her higher in the air.

"NEPTUNE CRYSTAL POWER!"

As she dove with her partner to ground level, the princess gratefully thanked them for the deep devotion. It was frustrating when they were considered enemies in the beginning...but now that everything's been solved, she wouldn't ask for any better scouts.

The 50th floor: the floor where Sailor Venus confidently waited for her leader. Her blue eyes caught sight of Serenity before she leapt out and stretched out her own arm. Serenity clutched the crystal close to her heart as she reached out and tightly grabbed onto the offered hand.

"...You can do it, Serena." A smile appeared on Venus's face. "I know you can."

The princess nodded before her second-in-command hoisted up above her head, bringing her closer to the top.

"VENUS CRYSTAL POWER!"

An orange beam streamed out and dove straight into the crystal, adding even more power than before. As they finally reached the Inner Senshi, Serenity reminisced how loyal the scout of Venus was: in order to keep the princess safe, she posed as the moon princess in the beginning, luring all danger toward herself. Only someone with extreme bravery and leadership would be able to do that. The princess was deeply grateful for having Sailor Venus for not only as a loyal guardian, but also as a trustworthy friend.

It didn't take too long to reach the 60th floor, where Sailor Jupiter finally kicked off and headed for the flying princess. Her right arm reached out and grabbed Serenity's left, clutching tightly...for it could possibly be the last time they ever see each other.

"I'm glad to have stood by your side, Princess Serenity," she said softly with a grin on her face.

Serenity lightly gasped as she remembered: those were the last words Jupiter said before she died in the battle against Beryl. Those deaths haunted her dreams ever since the memories came back to the team...but now, she was saying it with full confidence. As Serenity wondered if Jupiter was serious, it wasn't possible she could've meant it any other way. She mouthed a silent "thank-you" before the scout wheeled around and flung her higher into the air.

"JUPITER CRYSTAL POWER!"

While the green laser circled around and ended at the silver crystal, Serenity remembered how she befriended the strongest scout of the Inner Senshi, and how she was the first to ever dare to go near her. She was glad that she was able to have such a strong, independent, and courageous scout following her path toward a bright future. A wish was given to Sailor Jupiter as she landed on the ground as reinforcements for their allies.

On the 70th floor, Sailor Mars nodded at the sight of Serenity and flew in her direction. Both of them stretched out their arms as Mars tightly grabbed onto the wrists, careful not to make her lose grip of the crystal. For so long, she looked upon Serena with eyes of jealousy and rivalry...but now, all her eyes gave was a sense of loyalty and friendship. Considering all the times they fought together, it would seem like Mars is the closest to Sailor Moon among the Inner Senshi.

"Don't forget," she quietly reminded the princess. "You're the one that draws us all together."

A tear overflowed in Serenity's eye as the scout flung her up, closer to the top.

"MARS CRYSTAL POWER!"

A red beam of light burst forth from her tiara and combined with all the others in the silver crystal. Serenity could feel the crystal's energy grow significantly, partially due to Raye's devotion and belief for Crystal Tokyo...one that's far better from the one they saw with Rini.

The wind lashed at her face, blinding her for mere moments...but Serenity was still able to see Sailor Mercury leap out from the 80th floor. The higher they were, the colder the atmosphere became; Mercury must have been freezing up there.

But she would go great distances to help their future queen.

Mercury stretched out both her arms and held onto Serenity's single wrist, while the other held onto the crystal. The princess began to look back at the years: Amy was the first scout she found, ever being the school's smartest girl. Who would have guessed that she would be a scout, out of every girl in the world? Although Amy could be shy and sincere, there is nothing that would stop her from bringing peace to the world.

"It's good to be back," she said silently with a smile. The words that she recited were identical to when Luna restored her memories after the fight with Beryl. And now four years after saving Galaxia, the past came flowing back the moment they transformed.

"MERCURY CRYSTAL POWER!"

The scout flung her above her head as a bright blue beam shot out of her tiara. Once the energy reached the silver crystal, an immense amount of powers exploded from within. Serenity struggled with no time wasted, feeling that the end was drawing near.

_'Only one more...'_

Serenity looked up at the 90th floor, searching for the last scout to add to the crystal's power...

And there she was: the solar scout, Sailor Galaxy, protector of the universe. Thinking deeply, Serenity realized that the job of a galactic protector was no easy task. Not only did she assist the planetary protectors with their respective planets, she also kept guard on the entire galaxy. For many years, she guarded the earth, waiting for the scouts to safely be reborn and for her to be reborn herself. Sailor Galaxy excessively devoted herself to building a safe future, even if it meant her life had to be taken away.

Their hands linked together, gripping tightly to rid of the slippery sweat. A smile as bright as the lost sun appeared on Galaxy's face, holding the utmost confidence in the princess.

"I'll protect you with my life..." A wink came from her optimistic visage, catching Serenity by surprise. "Scout's honor."

Her loyalty drove Serenity to go the farthest distance once the solar scout flung her above her head with all her strength. Gravity wasn't going to stop them anymore.

"SOLAR CRYSTAL POWER!"

There were no words to express Serenity's gratitude for her. No matter what the obstacles were, Anna was there to help: Darien's manipulation in the Negaverse...the lost memories of her friends while going up against the Doom Tree...solving the problems between her and Darien's strained relationship...the mysterious identities and mission of Uranus and Neptune...the secret of the golden mirror's bearer...and the ultimate battle against Sailor Galaxia.

Once the solar scout plummeted to the ground, she saw it: the very top of Starlight Tower. The atmosphere made it difficult to breathe; bitter wind struck her and almost decreased her body temperature. Looking down, everyone and all the fiends seemed like minute insects; she could all of Tokyo from the peak of the tower.

But Serenity can't stop now. The top of the tower began to morph at her presence, and a small pedestal slowly rose to reveal itself. It looked like it was part of the building's interior. In the very center, the princess could see a small but safe display-like case for the silver crystal to fit into.

The crystal glowed in her hands as she held it close to her bosom. This was it: her next action could change the world, the universe. But as always, there was something that would hold her back:

What if it didn't work? What if there wasn't enough power and the team would lose? Blame would be immediately brought to her, she thought. It was her responsibility for their safety...

But then all their efforts for the past four years would have been for nothing. And she wasn't gonna waste it now.

Serenity finally held out the crystal in front of her while still floating in midair. All the energy in different colors swirled around within the crystal, looking for a crack to release...but the princess held it tight and felt the power within beginning to stir.

_'It's now or never!'_ With the rest of her strength, she pressed it forward and allowed the power to expel out.

"MOON ETERNAL POWER!"

At the cue of her words, all the colors in the crystal swirled even faster, unable to track with the naked eye. They slowly began to turn brighter, losing their individual shade and combining into a single white flash. The crystal itself began to shake and tremble, on the verge of shattering.

The case was at the ready to catch the precious jewel. All that was left was Serenity's trust...and she gave it, for her hands launched the silver crystal into the pedestal's direction.

With a little _clink_, the crystal landed perfectly in the pedestal's grasp. A white beam shot through the crystal and into the tower, casting light into every corridor and illuminating every dark corner. The blinding flash reached far down to the ground, where everyone took posts against the army.

They circled around the enemies that crowded all entrances to the tower; there was nowhere to go. As the enemies themselves tried to create a plan of retaliation, none of them noticed the pure energy expelling from the tower behind them. Once it was too late, powerful beams shot through their numbers, decimating them by a whole section. The team shielded their eyes from the positive energy.

"This is it!" Darien warned.

"Everyone, keep hold," Sailor Venus commanded. "Some of them could still escape!"

The scouts readied themselves for more combat…but the white rays from the tower blasted through the enemy's numbers, shooting out like brilliant lasers around Tokyo. Just before their eyes, everyone saw the buildings and ground shift to the crystal's will, as if it was molding Earth without causing the slightest bit of disturbance to nature. Everyone's heads spun around, marveling at the transformation of their hometown.

"Beautiful," Sailor Mars breathed out. As she watched, she didn't notice small streaks of the white light enveloping her body. They slowly turned into a crimson shade before changing her uniform into an elegant red gown, accentuating her curves perfectly.

Chad approached her with surprise. "Raye…what's going on?"

Speechless, Raye looked around to see similar situations happen to the other scouts. Their uniforms melted away, replaced with lavishing dresses in specific colors, and a great power emerged from inside. Watching the light consume her limbs, Sailor Galaxy stretched her fingers before her visage to see her garments transform.

However, her transformation was different from the other scouts. Rather than a beautiful dress, her body was encased in titanium armor that had just the right weight. A cape cascaded down her back and flowed in the wind, matching the intricate helmet that surrounded her head.

"What…?"

"Anna?"

From her side, Aoshi curiously looked at her new garments, wondering how it was to be so different from the rest of the girls. Anna carefully lifted the helmet up and held it by her side, revealing her furrowed eyebrows and hanging jaw.

"From when I was a chaser," she assumed, though it still didn't clear up why she changed into that instead of a dress.

Without warning, a great pain came over Anna, and she used her free hand to clutch onto her head, which felt like falling off her shoulders. She groaned unbearably as flashing images arrived…many of them from that dreadful battle in the Planetary Wastelands all those years ago.

The land greatly resembled the Crystal Tokyo that they saw in the future with Rini, only brighter and more fit for a kingdom. Large crystals shot out from Starlight Tower; the pedestal that held the Imperium Silver Crystal descended into the middle of the complex, using the new palace as its ultimate barrier.

Darien emerged from the base of the tower, adorned in the lavender tuxedo that he was destined to be in. In his hand was a cane to exemplify his power, but the one with the true strength descended from the sky above.

As everyone looked above, Serenity wore a dress almost identical to the one she wore on the moon, except a beautiful wing-shaped bow draped along her backside. She looked more elegant than ever before, living up to her title as the queen of the new era.

"Neo-Queen Serenity," Mina murmured as everyone approached her. As soon as the queen softly touched the ground, they all bent down or curtsied, lowering their heads in respect.

The queen smiled, and a great euphoria washed over her. "My friends - thank you for accomplishing our greatest goal."

Though she felt proud and glad that they had a chance to rebuild the Silver Millennium…there was a tiny flame growing inside Anna. As she thought about it more and more, she recognized the fiery emotion as hatred, confusing her to no end. Her eyebrows furrowed, concentrating on the cause of this feeling, but nothing could explain why she had some aversion to Serenity's ascension to the throne.

It was almost like she reverted back to the way she was before the destruction of the original Silver Millennium.

Anna took the slightest peek at Neo-Queen Serenity, still wondering what this negativity was, but just looking at the queen ignited the fire even more. When she noticed Serenity glancing back, she immediately averted her gaze, ashamed of what she was feeling…but it couldn't go away.

Darien held his hand out for Serenity to take, and he led her down to the edge of the pier. Everyone else followed closely behind, marveling at the reconstructed base that was Crystal Tokyo.

"Everything's different," Amy observed. "What will become of the rest of the world?"

"It has become similar to the Silver Millennium back on the moon," Trista explained. "The life of an Earth inhabitant has increased tenfold. With the Imperium Silver Crystal, the average lifespan would be a thousand years."

They all stood in awe at the new life ahead of them. Unbelievably, destiny had brought them to this point, and the fulfillment of such a destiny had immeasurable rewards. Their battled and journeys all led up to the rebirth of the Silver Millennium, and they were set on keeping it safe and prosperous.

As everyone relished in the idea of this new start, Anna worriedly lifted her helmet and stared straight into the visor. What was the purpose of reverting back into a chaser? She had long thrown away that part of her past, but it was still a part that could never truly disappear. Surely, no harm would come from going back to her true identity…but this dark past still frightened her to a degree.

While Earth continued to shift and morph, the inhabitants emerged into the light of the sun, fascinated by the new world around them. It would be difficult to adjust, but they could already feel the warmth and positive energy radiating from the Silver Crystal from miles away. They had a new life ahead of them, and somehow, they were sure Neo-Queen Serenity would lead them to prosperity.


	6. Lost

**Lost**

A month had passed since the rebirth of the world, and not a single person had wished for things to revert back to how things once were. Day by day, Neo-Queen Serenity looked over her kingdom with kindness and a good heart, and everyone thrived with the peace she brought.

Even with their duties to the Royal Court, Anna and Aoshi found enough time to take walks through the elegant flower fields decorating the cliff looking over the palace. There wasn't much trouble found during their patrols, which made them feel as if perfect times were to be ahead of them forever. Anna crouched down to observe the flowers up close, lightly grazing them with her fingers to feel their soft petals.

"Can you believe it?" she said softly with disbelief. "Crystal Tokyo…We really made it happen."

Aoshi sighed deeply as he craned his neck to see the whole capital from where he stood – a sight he knew he was never going to forget. "I bet we would have never seen something like this back home."

As she got back up, Anna looked up to check his eyes, wondering if there was any grief buried deep within them. "Do you wish we were back there?"

It was certainly a question to consider. Back in their world, Aoshi had potential of being successful on his own. He could have continued running his dojo, probably even start a bigger business with it, and continue being the man that was just one of many in a sea of people.

With a smirk, he returned Anna's gaze as she waited anxiously for his response. "Anywhere you are, I'll be there, too."

She smiled before falling into his embrace. As he wrapped his arms around her, Aoshi believed this new life ahead of them would be perfect…until a mysterious silhouette appeared in the distance. It slowly drew closer to them, and a creeping fear traveled along with it.

When Anna felt his arms slowly fall to his sides, she looked to see his gaze directed to something behind her. She turned around and saw the silhouette turn into a young man very close to their age. He was dressed in casual clothing and wore a dark smirk that could have easily been mistaken as gentle. Jade green eyes looked upon them with a sense of familiarity, though neither Anna nor Aoshi had met him before.

"There you are."

Anna looked at him curiously, at a lost as to what his purpose was. Ignoring Aoshi's attempt to shield her behind him, she took a step forward toward the man. "Can we help you?" she asked warily. "Where did you come from?"

In response, the man cocked his head to the side, a bit confused. "Don't you remember me?"

"No," Anna replied, shaking her head slowly. However, the longer her eyes lingered on his face, the more he felt familiar, as if she truly did know him. No matter how much thought she gave to it, she couldn't retrieve a name or memory…she just _knew_ that she knew him. "What's your name?"

He laughed with no amusement at all and placed a lamenting hand on his forehead. "Don't tell me…"

Despite her curiosity, she knew such a prolonged conversation with a stranger wasn't a very good sign. Clenching her hand into a fist, countless spheres suddenly erupted from her palm and orbited around her body, wiping away her dress and replacing it with her sailor suit with many adjustments. On her left shoulder was a pure silver pauldron while a black sleeve ran up her right arm all the way to her bicep. A dark navy cape flowed down her backside all the way to her knees and a brand new choker encircled her neck.

Sensing her wariness, Aoshi gripped his scabbard tightly. He couldn't predict one good intention from the man, and it was clear he was unwelcomed.

"One more time," she said with a hard edge in her voice. "Who are you?"

The man looked at her with disbelief a sad frown settled upon his face, yet neither of the Royal Court members could care less. "It's me…Philip."

Even when the name didn't ring a bell, it frightened Sailor Galaxy how strong the sense of familiarity was. As much as she wanted to keep the cautious front, what bothered her most was how her walls were unexplainably weakening.

After longer moments of silence, Philip sighed with defeat. "Well, this was to be expected," he drawled. In the blink of an eye, a large group of unknown warriors flashed to his side, their faces concealed and long katanas tied to their hips. Their organized formation made Aoshi and Sailor Galaxy slip into ready positions, prepared to strike at any given moment.

Philip smirked before pointing toward Aoshi. "Kill him."

Aoshi and Sailor Galaxy had no chance to make the initial strike. In full force, the warriors charged their way toward the swordsman, who wasted no time in unsheathing his kodachi. Holding her hands out, Sailor Galaxy summoned her daggers and flipped them in a backhand hold. The first attack upon her head was easily dodged, and she crouched low to swing her leg out and sweep the warrior's feet out from beneath him. When she raised her hand high to stab him, the warrior shot his free hand up to clutch onto her arm, twisting it to wretch the dagger free. He used his feet to kick the other dagger out of her hold in the midst of his leap to get back up; wasting no time at all, he quickly began spinning around, twirling Sailor Galaxy along with him. She was losing balance, and it was only a matter of time before he or one of his comrades would gain the upper hand on her. 

Meanwhile, Aoshi was having some difficulty against the many enemies surrounding him. He tried to use speed to his advantage, constantly changing it to throw them off, but there was always one of them ready to attack him at the opportune moments. Relying on his hand-to-hand combat skills seemed to fend them off for a while, but it did nothing to help Sailor Galaxy's plight.

The centrifugal force was starting to become overwhelming. Any longer, and she was definitely going to be vulnerable and open for fatal attacks. Luckily, a flaming arrow struck straight into the warrior's chest at the right angle to avoid hitting her, and it exploded upon impact. The grip on Sailor Galaxy was lost, and she flew across the field before planting her hands onto the ground to help flip her properly into a skidding crouch. A bright orange chain whipped around Aoshi, being careful not to hit him as it lashed out at the warriors and threw them back, clearing the field around him.

"Sailor Mars!" Galaxy exclaimed while looking over her shoulder.

In the nick of time, Sailor Mars and their fellow companions appeared, prepared for a fight. Serenity and Darien were there as well, the bright fire in their eyes directed toward the mysterious Philip. While Sailor Galaxy got to her feet, her eyes didn't leave the team, which proved to be a fatal mistake. As soon as a smile graced her lips, the other scouts gasped with fright, their wide eyes staring past Galaxy.

She turned back around to see Philip just mere inches away from her face, and a dark smirk appeared along with a glowing blue cube in his hand. As her heart stopped, he began to shove the cube against her chest, dissolving through her skin and making it prickle with an odd sensation. The air was swept out of Sailor Galaxy's lungs, her ears fell deaf, and before she knew it, she was thrown back once again, this time landing on the ground on her backside.

"Sailor Galaxy!" The team rushed to her side and carefully lifted her up in to a sitting position. Aoshi hurried to see if she was okay; the worry grew in the moments she took to recollect herself only to be relieved when her eyes opened with steady breaths.

"I'm all right," she told them…though she couldn't shake off the heavy weight settling in her chest, and it felt like needles were slowly piercing their way into her heart, one by one. Despite the many hands on her checking in on her safety, she could feel none of the warmth radiating from them, and instead they were replaced with a cold touch. Something definitely wasn't right, she thought to herself; Sailor Galaxy glanced toward Philip across the field, his small army standing behind him so loyally. As the dark smirk on his face grew with every passing moment, she grew more frightened…but at the same time, she just wanted to get up and reach out for him. A sense of repulsion and desire swept through her.

Hate and love.

She dared to take a deeper look into his cold jade eyes…and lost herself.

"AAAGGHHH!"

Everyone abruptly turned to her as she bent over on her knees, clutching her head as if she was about to pull the hair roots out. Sailor Galaxy's body trembled in fear and agitation; her head grew heavier by the second, flashes of images appearing before her eyes. No matter how much she strained to gain control, the onslaught of nostalgic visions rammed into her head, drowning her memories and even her ability to think straight.

"Sailor Galaxy?" Sailor Mars glared ferociously at the newcomer. "What the hell did you do?"

"Bringing back her old self," he replied matter-of-factly. None of the other bystanders seemed to even catch his attention – it was all focused on the crippled young girl before them.

Aoshi took Sailor Galaxy into his arms as she continued to thrash in pain. "Anna! What is it?"

The rest of the team gathered closely, watching her suffer with worried looks upon their faces. Sailor Galaxy went on with her relentless shrieks and flails, unable to hear the cries of the others. Aoshi had difficulty keeping her calm; it was as if she couldn't even sense him right next to her.

Serenity held her hands out in front before a shimmering gleam appeared between them. The Silver Crystal hovered in the space between, its power resonating greatly. "Maybe she'll be okay once I heal her!"

However, when the queen approached the whimpering scout, an invisible force combated with the crystal's power, fending it off from ever reaching Sailor Galaxy. Serenity felt herself reel back from the immense power, and its dark touch filled her with dread.

Sweat poured down the solar scout's face, and the last of her energy was draining away. She could no longer hold tight onto reality; her mind was heavy, and there was no other option but to succumb to the familiar essence that was invading her mind. "Aoshi," she cried out weakly. Her hand desperately clung to his sleeve, and he gritted his teeth in agitation.

No one noticed how the mysterious man smirked once again, his eyes continuing to watch Sailor Galaxy's strength diminish into nothing. Aoshi felt her almost collapse in his arms…but there was still some consciousness in her when the pain seemed to dissipate. Her grip was no longer fierce, and her breathing was quickly returning to normal.

"Sailor Galaxy?" Mercury carefully approached her and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Come on. We should bring you to the infirmary. This man might have done something to you!"

Aoshi carefully helped her up to her feet, thinking of retreating back to the palace with Sailor Galaxy…but he didn't know what to think when she suddenly grabbed his arm and swung him around with tremendous force, throwing him into Mars and Venus. As he fell into the scouts' arms after they acted fast, Galaxy already flipped back in the air, landed behind Mercury and threw a side blow to her face.

Jupiter was lucky enough to bring her arms up and cross them in time, blocking Galaxy's punch to her chest. As they were locked in a stalemate, Jupiter saw a dark and empty glare in the familiar blue eyes, and shivers ran down her spine. "Anna—"

The solar scout crouched low and swung her leg around to sweep Jupiter's feet out from under her. Before Jupiter could crash to the ground, Sailor Galaxy raised her hand to deal a finishing strike, one that would end things for good…

Until a swift blow to the gut knocked the wind out of her. Galaxy jumped a few feet back to gasp for air, and she glared at the king standing in front of Sailor Jupiter. Bringing his cane up to act as a weapon, Darien glared at his long friend as if he couldn't recognize her.

Sailor Galaxy straightened her posture and huffed, turning on her heel to face the opposing side. "You're late, Philip," she scolded before walking over.

The white-haired man lightly bowed before snapping his fingers, and one of the mysterious soldiers rushed up with a sheathed blade in his hands. "My apologies. The late Queen was clever in sending you to a different reality, so I was a bit thrown off as to where to find you."

As the Royal Court slowly recuperated, their eyes widened in horror as they watched Sailor Galaxy talk so casually with the intruder, the one who led the assault they just defended against. Serenity couldn't help but dwell on the man's words – was there some type of underlying conspiracy all the way back during the destruction of the original Moon Kingdom? Her eyebrows knitted together as he took the sword and presented it to Sailor Galaxy.

"It's your sword," the man explained. "Ame no Murakumo, remember? You gave him to me before you fled the Planetary Wastelands."

Anna marveled at the sight, like seeing a long lost friend after so long. "I have missed you so," she breathed out while taking the weapon into her hands. As her eyes traveled up and down the blade, she gripped it tightly and relished in the nostalgia.

"Anna...Anna!"

Her eyebrows furrowed in as she turned on her heel, glaring at Aoshi with contempt. "Shut _up_! That's not my name."

Aoshi grimaced at her bitter words. He couldn't recall another time Anna had ever lashed out at him with such anger. Even in the worst times, she wouldn't rage like this.

"You're..." Venus took a step forward, watching Anna with fright. "You're not Anna...?"

She shook her head with disbelief and sighed. "What was I thinking? Listening to Galaxia..."

Darien stared at her with cold eyes. Although it looked and sounded like Anna, he would have known if it truly was his best friend in there. "So, who are you really?" he asked calmly, trying his best to loosen the tension.

She sarcastically lifted her eyebrows in gratitude, and a piercing smile formed on her lips. "Nice to meet you. My name is Isabelle, a chaser...well, solar scout now."

The princesses watched her fearfully. In all the years they had known Anna, she never revealed any split personalities or any cruel sneers similar to the woman before them. Aoshi looked at Isabelle with scrutinizing eyes: a part of him felt that she was a complete stranger, and another part saw her as his one love, the one he risked far too much for to let something like this hinder their relationship.

Sailor Mars joined Venus and tried to laugh off the scene as a joke. "Anna, come on. Fun's over. Do you know this guy?"

Isabelle seethed with fury. "Pathetic," she drawled. "All of you..." As she rolled her eyes through the Royal Court, they eventually landed on Neo-Queen Serenity, and a scowl was fixed on her face. "Who would have thought the selfish annoying _brat _would finally become a queen? Oh, great job with running this new Silver Millenium, by the way." She said the last bit drowning with sarcasm.

Friend or foe, she hit a very sensitive nerve in Jupiter, who suddenly took off toward her. "Anna!" she scolded. "You take that back!"

However, as she got close, Isabelle disappeared in the blink of an eye. The next thing Jupiter knew, a strong force drove into her backside, slamming her into the ground and keeping her down.

Her stomach and chest throbbed in pain; she tried to lift her upper body, but a firm hand shoved her face back into the dirt.

From afar, Sailor Mercury gasped, appalled at the sight. "Anna, what are you doing?"

Isabelle got up from her crouch above Sailor Jupiter and sneered. "Get it through to your miniscule brains!" she roared. "The girl you're looking for...is DEAD!"

Aoshi always refused to consider the thought; ever since their lives changed when they arrived in this dimension, he vowed to make sure Anna was safe. How is it that she became manipulated and different under his eye, right before him?

When she saw the painful countenance on him, Isabelle smirked with delight. "Hmph. You're sad to see your lover go? Don't worry...I still have some business here to finish." As she finished her words, her eyes dragged to Serenity, who gripped her hands into tight fists. There was a mysterious depth in the solar scout's gaze, and everyone wondered what was running through her mind. Finally, a dark smirk appeared on her face as she raised her hand, palm facing the queen...and a blazing meteor shot out.  
The scouts would have never expected Sailor Galaxy to make any attack toward the queen, but it didn't stop their jaws dropping in terror as they watched the meteor close in on Serenity. However, though none of them could react in time, Darien and Aoshi quickly jumped in front of the queen, swords drawn from their sheaths, and protected her from the meteor. It collided with their crossed blades, battling to get the upper hand, but the power emanating from them decimated the meteor into nothing.

Darien glared at Isabelle with great ferocity. That one move was all it took to convince him that Anna was nowhere in that body. With one leap, he closed the distance between them and brought his sword down toward her head.

But she reacted fast and crossed her arms above her head, trapping the blade between the back of her hands. Before Darien could even comprehend her move, Isabelle's wrists twisted around and sent him and his sword crashing to the ground.

Aoshi looked at her as if she was a complete stranger. He couldn't recognize the dark shadow in her eyes, the devilish smirk that she gave, or the choking aura that she emitted.

"Cosmic Moon Power!"  
Everyone turned their heads toward Neo-Queen Serenity, who held the Silver Crystal in between her hands. As a light glow surrounded the queen, Isabelle sneered with contempt and gave a large wave of her hand. An invisible but tremendous force slammed into Aoshi and the queen, making them reel back to jilt their actions.

"Isabelle," the man next to her chided. Isabelle seemed to uphold her sneer before receding. "You'll have your chance. Let us go."

Sailor Mars clenched her hand into a tight fist. "Not so fast!" She and Venus held out their palms, making red and orange streams of light dance around their extended limbs.

"MARS FLAME SNIPER!"  
"VENUS LOVE AND BEAUTY SHOCK!"

Their powerful attacks shot toward Isabelle with great speed and energy. It was almost certain that she and Philip would be hit, especially when contact was made and a shroud of smoke surrounded them.  
But as it cleared, a crystalline barrier was seen projecting from Isabelle's outstretched hand. An enraged glare settled in her eyes, though there was nothing for them to worry over since neither of them bore a single scratch.

"Her shield!" Venus gasped.

As the barrier dissipated, Isabelle lowered her arm slowly, and the team worried about what her next move will be. The man beside her simply cocked his head to the side, annoyed at the loss of time for his plans to continue.

"Come now," he said impatiently. "This isn't your life...not anymore."

She simply huffed, sneering at the team with no ounce of sympathy. "It was never mine to begin with," she growled while turning around with the stranger.

Aoshi felt like a gaping hole replaced his heart, and yet the young woman before him did nothing to heal it. In one fell swoop, Anna vanished and a new sinister being appeared, her intentions yet to be known. He tightly gripped the kodachi at his side, frustrated at what his next move should be.

Before anyone could move, a large gust of wind surrounded the field, cloaking Isabelle and her convoy. No one from the Royal Court could struggle against the wind's might, and by the time it dissipated, they were the only ones left to be seen.

"Dammit, they're gone!" Sailor Jupiter clenched her fists tightly.  
Venus stepped forward to turn around and face the rest of the Inner Senshi. "Well, we're not letting them off that easily," she retorted. "Let's go, girls!"

"Right!" the rest of them nodded.

As they dispersed, Aoshi remained frozen in place, at a loss at what had just occurred before his very eyes. One moment, Anna was beside him - smiling and laughing in bliss...

And in one fell swoop, she changed into a woman he had never known, one who defected from the Royal Court and shattered his core to pieces.

"Aoshi..." He heard from behind him. Slowly looking over his shoulder, he saw Darien sheathe his sword back into his cane. "There are answers that need to be found," the king pressed. "We should look for those while the scouts search for Anna."

When they, along with Serenity, retreated back to the palace, a gnawing thought made its presence known in the back of his mind, no matter how much he wanted to deny it.

_'There __**has **__to be a way for Anna to come back...isn't there?'_


	7. Haven of Souls

**Haven of Souls**

Everyone was at a lost as to what had transpired in the flower field earlier that day. In a matter of minutes, a strange man had come from nowhere and triggered something in Anna's mind, forcing her to take on some type of past persona that was dormant over the generations. Aoshi leaned against a marble podium in the foyer, his eyes glassed over while his mind didn't know what to think.

'_Isabelle…'_

Anna had never spoken or hinted about some type of alter ego, some other person that she felt resided inside her body. It had to be some type of brainwashing, Aoshi thought…but the moves and fighting style she displayed in the field was exactly what everyone expected from Sailor Galaxy. There had to be _some_ type of connection between the two, but no one truly had the knowledge of such a far past…

Except one.

The main doors of the palace slowly drew open, and Aoshi fixed himself to be attentive as Galaxia appeared before the setting sun. Her pale dress dragged itself along the floor as she entered; with elegance and grace, she stood before Aoshi and lightly bowed with a grave expression.

"Sir Aoshi. It's good to see you again."

In return, Aoshi respectfully dipped his head. "It's an honor, milady. The king and queen are waiting for you."

They headed to the palace's audience room, and two servants pushed the doors open to let them in. In front of the throne, Darien and Serenity quietly conversed before noticing their presence. The rest of the Royal Court returned to their respective planets, giving high alert for the danger that was to come.

"Galaxia…" Serenity gathered Galaxia's hands into hers with desperation, the dread clearly washed over her face. "Thank you for coming."

Galaxia nodded. "Of course."

"It's about Anna," Darien said gravely. It prompted a heavy sigh and a weary expression on Galaxia's visage.

"Oh, dear…The time has come."

"What do you mean, Lady Galaxia?" Serenity asked with curiosity.

With solemn steps, Galaxia turned away from them, her eyes traveling back to a long distant past. "Since the war, Sailor Galaxy had kept a hidden force inside of her. I have seen a side of her that you have never imagined in your wildest dreams." She looked back to them with a grim frown, though her gaze seemed to be particularly fixated on Aoshi. Deep down, he knew it was as hard for her as it was for the rest of them, for she had been an eye witness to the travesty she was to tell. "What you're about to hear…may not be pleasant."

Despite her warning, Serenity nodded with determination to see it all to the end. "Please, if it will help us find her."

"Sailor Meteor, or Isabelle as you know her now, was the youngest chaser under my wing…and she despised her destiny." Galaxia's words reflected the painful experience – watching her youngest protégé deny her birthright was not easy to overcome. Around her, the king and queen glanced at each other with slightly gaping mouths, reeling in this new discovery. The young woman they saw in the field wasn't just some new persona Philip threw into Anna's body…

It was her original self.

"Although she was ready to serve me and the planets, what was to come with her future was nothing but distress and destruction. She always wanted to escape her fate, to throw everything away just to live normally. And then she met _him_."

Aoshi immediately knew the meaning behind her indication…and his hands at his sides clenched into tight fists. "You mean Philip." Though Galaxia nodded, the confirmation didn't make him feel any better. "They spoke as if they were close."

"They were," she sadly confirmed once again."…Like a viper spilling lies to its prey. That man gave her such false hope that would seem like a dream come true to a girl so young. They made her vain, selfish, and careless about everything." As Galaxia shuddered, everyone else looked at her in shock, astonished at the truth that had been hidden for far too long. From beside Serenity, Darien's eyes desperately searched for some flaw in her story – the Anna he knew, whether in this life or the previous, couldn't have possibly been harboring such negative feelings. She had always seemed so dedicated to the cause of protecting the kingdom and Serenity…Was it all just an elaborate lie?

"And so, I banished him from our world and locked those raging thoughts of hers deep within using the Haven of Souls."

Darien gave her a curious look. "What's that?"

"Think of a box that is strongly fortified with ancient magic," she explained. "Since the beginning of time, it has been used to seal away all negativity, cleansing the soul that was bound to it."

He nodded slowly, grasping the concept. "That was what Philip used on her…" With some modification, the Haven of Souls could have been used to produce the opposite effect – seal away the positive energy from the soul so all that was left was rage and despair. "So you used the Haven of Souls on her…but now she's reverted back to her old self?"

"Yes. To her old self before the time I gave her my powers." It pained Galaxia to think that such old and dark times have resurfaced again, especially after working hard to make sure history wouldn't repeat itself. "Isabelle…"

Serenity frowned, her eyes lost in searching for the whole truth. "What was the catalyst?" she asked.

"I'm afraid it was because of me."

The others looked toward Galaxia in shock as she sighed with a hint of shame. "When I was consumed by Chaos, she awakened her inner powers, did she not? After taking Sir Aoshi's crystal, the darkness within her built up, and some of that negativity seeped through the Haven of Souls to give her those eternal powers."

Gritting his teeth, Aoshi recalled the unbearable pain he felt once Galaxia struck him and tore his crystal away. In the ghostly expression on Sailor Galaxy's face, he couldn't imagine the turmoil and chaos commencing inside of her. What if it was that one incident that started it all? If he had granted Anna's wish of returning home, the darkness would not have been disturbed…but this was the price of saving her from death.

"But that was years ago," he muttered as a dark cloud loomed over his head.

"Sailor Moon's intervention certainly helped in holding it back for a while, even changed some of it into the positive energy soon afterward…" Galaxia sadly shook her head. "But the darkness was still there. In time, it started to meld with the one you know now…Changing the world must have set it all loose, and it temporarily blended perfectly to give Anna her old chaser powers."

By then, Darien was able to put the pieces together perfectly. "Until Philip showed up…" If he hadn't appeared that day, Anna could have possibly managed the darkness with the help of Galaxia and the others.

"So, what's she planning to do?" Serenity asked. "It seems that she and Philip have plans."

Galaxia worriedly shook her head. "No one can know. Neither I nor the other chasers knew much about Philip before we sent him away. Whenever he and Sailor Meteor were together, the air around them felt so dense and suffocating, as if he was pouring the negativity itself straight into her. Back then, I sensed a great evil from him." It was a very old matter they were facing – something before the far distant battle on the Planetary Wastelands. From the moment they laid eyes on him, everyone could tell Philip was someone not to be taken lightly. "…Be careful."

The other three gravely nodded, realizing that Galaxia had no secure place in all of this. If Isabelle came into contact with her, the result would be catastrophic. Deep feelings of resentment and rage would be unleashed, and they would be steps farther from getting Anna back…if it was at all possible. 

As night fell upon the seemingly peaceful kingdom, Aoshi stared off from the second floor balcony, despite the cold wind beginning to bite at his skin. On any regular night, he could have enjoyed this quiet moment…but thinking that there was danger lurking anywhere around the kingdom had him on edge, especially when the danger could come from the one he feared for the most. His ice blue eyes scoured the buildings and ports, wondering where the two of them were stationed.

Darien appeared from behind, knowing very well where his barraging thoughts were. "We'll get her back. Don't worry, Aoshi."

"That's the least of our problems," he muttered as he turned around to face the king.

"Then what's number 1?"

At first, Aoshi hesitated; a part of him didn't want to acknowledge what he had concluded, but there was no other way around it. After seeing it with his own eyes and listening to Galaxia's story, it was hard to deny what was right in front of him. "That girl we met today…that's the original chaser. Sailor Galaxy came from that being. She's the basic template for Anna." Just saying it aloud aggravated him, and he tiredly ran a hand through his raven hair. "Isn't that who she was meant to be: a brash little girl who feared for her life? And now we're going to force her to become someone she's not? It just feels like…"

Darien watched as his expressions went from bad to worse. "Like what?"

"It's like the one we knew all this time was just a shade of the real Anna," Aoshi admitted before catching himself at his words. "The real _Isabelle_. Anna never really existed." Could the memories he shared with her have just been lies? Even though Galaxia's actions were for the better, there was still something in the depths of Anna's heart that refused her birthright and threatened to change everything about her. It wasn't something that could have been completely denied, and now it's back to exact vengeance on those who entrapped her.

Darien also believed it to be somewhat true…but there was one fact he knew could never be false. "Even if it seems like that…our memories, our battles with her are still real. She _was_ there when you met her. Anna _did_ fight alongside us all these years. All these years can't be thrown away as illusions."

Tired, Aoshi shook his head with defeat. "Real or not, she's still gone. Being locked away for so long, Isabelle won't listen to reason." The rage they saw just hours ago was proof of this. With little hope of getting through Isabelle's long-awaited grudge, how could they have faith in believing Anna will come back?


	8. Proposition

**Proposition**

The following day, the Royal Court was summoned to the castle, though they had to be on the alert while on the move. Reports of attacks and raids across the globe struck fear in the hearts of the populace, particularly centered on a "rebel faction" that sought to overthrow the kingdom. When they met in the throne room, those of the Outer Senshi were brought up to speed, and their reactions were just as shocked as the others when the king and queen relayed the information given by Galaxia.

"Haven of Souls?" Lita asked curiously.

Darien nodded, and the rest of the scouts seemed intrigued. "Lady Galaxia said it was essentially used to contain the lost memories and emotions of Isabelle, from before the battle in the Planetary Wastelands."

"So all this time, she had some other person inside her, pent up with negative thoughts and emotions." Amara ground her fist into her palm, finding it hard to accept any of it.

Likewise, the creases on Michelle's forehead didn't fade away. "She's been holding a grudge against Lady Galaxia."

Raye tiredly sighed. "So now that she's out, what's Isabelle gonna do?" was her response – the one question all the other scouts dreaded.

"Nothing good – that's for sure," Venus speculated acidly. "If Lady Galaxia locked up her memories and emotions, there must have been something Isabelle or that Philip guy was after."

By the throne, Serenity went into deep thought, going back over their conversation with Galaxia. There was still much they didn't know, but she was certain of one thing. "We're dealing with someone with the maturity of a young girl." Everyone else looked at her with surprise. "When her memories were sealed away, Isabelle was just thirteen years old. She may have been under Lady Galaxia's wing, but she was still too young."

Soon enough, everyone nodded in understanding. At that young of an age, Isabelle wouldn't have been manipulated into something extravagant. Philip was certain to have implanted a simple dark desire in her heart – one that would utilize her innate power for its personal gain.

"The Isabelle of now is the same as the one many millennia ago," Amy figured. "She may be strong, but she could still be naïve."

Mina caught on to her thinking. "If we catch them soon enough, Philip can't bring her up to speed and she won't grow into an unstoppable power."

From beside Trista, Hotaro nodded sagely. "The powers Anna developed over the years are new to Isabelle. It will take her some time to fully comprehend how to utilize it…Now's the chance to strike."

Even when the other princesses nodded, Neo-Queen kept a wary face. Though they have a chance to prevent Isabelle's power from reaching its potential, who was to say she would be rational and listen to them? Philip had her under his control, and it would be near impossible for her to see it in time.

Looking over to the queen, Aoshi began to share her concerns. With the quietest of sighs, he stepped away from the group without a single one of them noticing…

Except for Amara.

Taking silent steps, she followed him to a side courtyard just nearby. Aoshi sighed as his eyes observed the hills over the horizon, the bright sun rays shining upon their faces as the cold wind meant for nighttime arrived early. From behind, Amara carefully approached him, wondering how to ease his mind from the meeting that had just transpired.

"How you holding up?" she asked gently. She noticed him take in her presence, and yet Aoshi didn't turn toward her.

"If we fight her…We may lose the both of them altogether."

With a sigh, Amara understood who he referred to. Fighting Isabelle in Anna's body may very well defeat her, but Anna may be lost in the process. It was still uncertain if they have any chance of getting her back; all their options seemed to be out of their favor, much to their disappointment.

"We'll find a way," Amara assured.

Aoshi lowly chuckled with no emotion. Her words were so similar to the king's – full of mere belief and false hope. "If we can find one before Isabelle gets used to her powers."

"That won't be a problem."

The familiar voice sent shivers down their spines, and the two of them spun on their heels to find the woman in question smirking at them devilishly. Isabelle no longer wore the special sailor suit that changed along with the world, but was now in the dress Anna obtained when the dark powers within first leaked through. A black tube top encased her bosom and abdomen while a European-style dress ended at her ankles in shredded strips. Around her forearms, sleek black vambrace glistened to give off an aura akin to her dark grin.

Aoshi and Amara felt their limbs freeze up, rendering them powerless and immobile. Though they weren't present at the time, they were aware of the destruction the dark powers brought when Sailor Galaxy faced off with Galaxia years ago. If Isabelle had indeed been able to utilize that force, they had little to no chance with just the two of them.

However, Isabelle remained calm and humble as she raised a hand in a truce. "Listen to me, and you two won't die."

It didn't make Amara feel any safer; she kept herself at the ready to attack when necessary. "What do you want?" she asked roughly.

In response, Isabelle gave a light pout. "Is that really how you talk to an old friend? I thought we were closer than that."

"You really call throwing punches at each other being close?" After a fierce sneer, Uranus softened up to give a smirk. "As far as I recall, I'm still in the lead."

Isabelle was well aware of the little bout between Uranus and her other half, much to her dismay. In her eyes, it all seemed too childish…but that childishness could possibly be used to her advantage. "Well, that'll change soon enough."

The change in attitude worried Aoshi, and he began looking at the young woman skeptically. "What do you want?"

"The crystal," Isabelle replied bluntly and matter-of-factly.

Uranus looked at her as if she was insane. "The Silver Crystal?"

"Get it, give me it...and I'll spare the both of you when the time comes." Her face gave a smug expression, like she was dangling a wonderful opportunity in front of them.

In the entire world, no one would dare to make such an offensive demand. Even if not everyone was able to comprehend the power of the crystal, they knew it was critical in the peace and stability Neo-Queen Serenity brought when she changed Tokyo into the kingdom. Aoshi sighed with disbelief as he continued to stare. "Listen to yourself," he urged while shaking his head. "This isn't like you. What happened to the old you?"

Isabelle sneered again; she was tired of going through the same scenario over again. Was it so hard to believe that this was who she truly was? "This _is_ the old me," she emphasized, placing a hand on her chest. "That Galaxia bitch just had to lock me up for so long, and really, I had to spend ages floating through space just to wait for some stupid meatball head to be reborn."

That last remark made Amara's jaw clench as tight as her fist. "Watch it, tramp. That meatball head is your queen."

"Not for long."

Her words sent a shiver down their spines once again. The strange intent behind her words made Aoshi apprehensive; it was hard to think of her as an enemy while looking at the face he cherished for years. "What are you-?"

In the blink of an eye, he had to dodge the swift punch that flew to his face, barely stepping it out of its way as Isabelle's form whizzed past him. She quickly swung her other arm around for a backhand strike, but Amara easily rushed up to block it with a firm arm.

However, the assault didn't stop there. With a smirk, Isabelle raised her other hand to summon one of the daggers Sailor Galaxy used. Aoshi knew he couldn't reach the both of them in time to stop the descent of the blade, but even so, he rushed forward. Amara saw the dagger appear in Isabelle's hand just before it came down toward her head; with a flick of her wrist, she called her own Space Sword to her hand and raised it above her head to block the strike.

They both struggled to gain the upper hand over the other…but the crackle of her weapon made Isabelle decide to retreat. Just as she jumped back, Amara exerted as much force as she could muster to push her blade through and slice through Isabelle's dagger, making it fade away.

Isabelle growled as the weapon disappeared in her hand, clenching it into a tight fist.

"Having trouble with those new powers?" Amara asked as the corner of her lips pulled upward ever so slightly. It seems Hotaru's speculation was on the mark: despite carrying awesome power, Isabelle lacked the necessary skill to hone and channel it like Anna did.

Behind Amara, Aoshi watched them in awe at this revelation. Isabelle had yet to keep a stable hold in the unfamiliar body that she was locked in for so long, she couldn't utilize the new powers properly. As Hotaru's words seemed to deem true, this hopeful window of opportunity grew bigger.

"I'm a fast learner," Isabelle sneered, though it was easy to see how flustered she was. Jumping back, she allowed a large amount of space between her and the members of the Royal Court, and her opponents had little chance of making another strike. Her eyes lingered on Aoshi's face for a while, holding a gaze that contained not disdain, but some hidden meaning that couldn't be immediately deciphered.

Before Aoshi had a chance to think about her gaze, a high-pitched whistle sounded through the air, and he recognized it as coming from the palace guards.

"My offer still stands," he and Amara heard before Isabelle disappeared into the nearby trees. Once they spun around on their heels, she was nowhere in sight, and they were left gaping in her wake.

Aoshi let out a sigh as he wearily searched the trees. All this time, he had hoped some of Anna's conscience had somehow rubbed off on Isabelle, possibly helping her become more humane than how Philip shaped her to be.

However, she had become so cruel beyond recognition. Isabelle and Anna were truly separate beings sharing the same life and body; if Anna was ever aware of her old self, she may have tried to cut off all ties to it in fear.

Her warning still echoed in his ears. Sooner or later, Isabelle would find a way to control the destructive powers waiting inside her. If Aoshi and the Royal Court wanted any chance of bringing Anna back, now was the time to act. His hand clenched into a tight fist at his side, and all the while, he searched for a way to protect the world…and save Isabelle from self-destruction.


End file.
